


One Piece: Law story

by imdoneexisting, Saratoga3



Category: One Piece
Genre: Other, Translation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-14
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:55:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 29,862
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27563386
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imdoneexisting/pseuds/imdoneexisting, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Saratoga3/pseuds/Saratoga3
Summary: Translation of the book One Piece: Law novel, it could contain some mistakes since i will use a translation app using the original japanese book.
Comments: 23
Kudos: 81





	1. Chapter 1

**Legal disclaimer** : this is a amateur FANFIC based on LAW NOVEL, **not the official translation** , it contain modifications and variations to not copy the original book. 


	2. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> it took me more time than i expected, sorry for the delay.

_I don't wanna die_

_I can't die_

  
I can think of that alone as I drag my feet forward. With each step, the sound of snow crunching under my feet reaches my ears. I wonder how far I have walked. All I can see around me is a forest of spiky trees in a silvery white world. I can't tell how far away that neighboring city that Cora-san had mentioned is.  
Damit. My limbs begin to lose sensation. I'm not surprised, I have been walking for 3 days without food. If I don't do something, the cold and hunger will kill me before the amber lead disease has a chance to do it. I'm so tired, my body feels so heavy. Thoughts of just collapsing in the snow and getting some relief start to haunt my mind.

  
_NO_

If I die, I cannot pay my debts, Cora-san gave up everything, dragged me everywhere to cure my illness and it resulted in his death. It would be a disgrace for him if I died.  
I take the scalpel from the little bag that hangs around my waist and ...

\- ... AAAGH

I stab my left arm with the scalpel.

  
_There ... that should keep me awake_

  
After bandaging the wound with gauze, I continue walking some more. I am no match for wild boars and wolves in this state; but I don't have time to think about those things.

  
_I have to…. get… to that place_

  
The place where Cora-san promised we would meet. It finally appears in my field of vision, just as my mind was blurring. Lights…. No mistake it is the city lights.

  
_I'm saved, they can help me!_

  
Those words ease the heaviness of my body and it is easier to walk. If i just get to town, they could gave me some hot soup and maybe sleep in a soft blanket. I start to run and quickly reach the brick houses of the city. A sign at the entrance proclaims that it is called "Pleasure Town", in large letters. I wonder if this is the neighboring city. In any case, there are a lot of people walking that I hadn't noticed from afar. This place will suffice. If I just call someone, they will offer me a warm place to stay. I rush to get closer and start calling whoever ...

  
I stop.

  
I wait anxiously at the entrance, suddenly remembering everything that has happened to me. Memories of how I was treated by people due to my appearance caused by the amber lead syndrome. Memories of being hated by everyone, avoided and hurt. The past that I didn't want to remember comes back flooding my mind. Memories of my home, Flevance, the white city in quarantine because everyone thought lead amber was a contagious disease, memories of how the government ignored us and a war started, a war that killed my father, my sister, my mother and all members of the church. Memories of how I hid among the corpses and escaped from the city. And memories of how I was treated like trash in every hospital that Cora-san took me to as he tried to cure me.  
I stopped believing the day that my city was burned and everyone I cared about was killed. I joined the Donquixote family later, with the sole purpose of destroying what I could before dying.

  
All I knew was despair.

But Cora-san shed tears for me, he said my name with his voice cracking as tears rolled down his face. I thought that this world was hell and that I couldn't put my faith in anything; but Cora-san made me believe in people and humanity again. Despite that, my body still doesn't move forward, I am terrified to enter this crowded town ...  
Terrified of being rejected again. It would probably hurt even more than last time. Just thinking about it makes my knees shake. Yet somehow I force my legs to march forward and finally enter the city. I call someone who was shoveling snow right ahead.

  
\- Eh, excuse me ...

\- Ey, your face ...

- **!!**

They have already noticed the amber lead disease. Here comes that very familiar expression. Repulsion. Eyes that tell me that I have no right to live.

\- Wait! - I ignore the scream of the woman asking me to stop and just run to the outskirts of the city. I didn't have the courage even to continue the conversation.

  
_I am pathetic_

  
Cora-san, you gave me all the love you had, but I can't seem to trust people yet.

* * *

I wander around aimlessly until I spot a cave on the shoreline and crawl inside. At least here I can escape the cold. My stomach growls.

  
_Food, I need food._

  
There are dry branches that have not been touched by the snow in abundance on the floor of the cave. Thick and thin branches. I choose the thick ones and stack them to light a fire. It's funny that the survival skills learned with the Donquixote family would be of use to me now, of all possible situations. What a joke.  
I bring my hands to the crackling fire.

_It is so warm._

  
But this is not the time to relax. I need to hunt, which considering my current state, is not a viable plan. I take another branch and tie a string to it's end, then dig a bit in the dirt for worms, tie a few to the rope, and throw it over the cliff. Even with a makeshift rod I manage to catch several large fish. I'm so hungry that I can't bear it. Returning to the cave quickly, I remove the entrails from the fish, strap them on a branch and place them on the fire. A delicious aroma begins to float in the air. With this I can regain my energy and morale. Then to sleep and think about what to do next.

  
Suddenly a sharp pain shoars through my whole body.

  
My hands, legs, back… everything hurts, so much that it almost makes me cry.

I can't breathe.

  
Damn, even when I expected this to happen eventually, it had somehow escaped my mind. Three years and two months, that's how long I had to live based on the data about the disease that my parents had left behind. Those three years have passed. I already had one of these attacks when I was with Cora-san. Given the margin of error in the data, I could drop dead right now.

  
_What can I do?_

  
I have eaten the _ope-ope_ fruit. According to Cora-san, the person who eats it becomes a freely modifying human and gains the power to cure any disease. But it is not a type of magic that you will soon be able to master and it does not mean that any disease will be cured just by eating the fruit. Until I learn how to use this power, there is nothing I can do.

**SHIT**

  
Without thinking I hit the ground with my fists. I feel feverish.

Death is coming, I can feel it.

  
I can't move… I fall backwards, dizzy.

  
This is not good, I can't give up.

  
The _ope-ope_ fruit is Cora-san's life materialized. If he hadn't tried to find it for me, he wouldn't be dead. That is why…

  
**THAT'S why I have to live! His death cannot be in vain! I wont allow it!**

  
I scream. I can't let that kindness and smile that Cora-san showed in the end lose it's meaning.

  
_Pump_

  
Suddenly, I feel my heart pounding

  
_Pump Pump_

  
The pace is accelerating

  
_pumppumppumppumpum_

  
It feels like my body is just a blood pump. But I don't think it was necessarily a bad thing. It is as if a power within me has awakened.

  
_Whoooomshhhhhh_

  
A loud and sustained noise rings out. I suddenly realize that I am in the middle of a semi-transparent blue dome surrounding me. What is this? From inside the dome it looked as if I could see everything. Even within my own body. I close my eyes and try to focus. Brain, heart, lungs, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, spleen ... I can feel it all. I can feel where they are located, how the muscles and nerves are connected, almost as if I were holding them in my hands.

  
_This… is the power of the ope-ope fruit!_

  
And it isn't just internal either. Everything inside the dome could be modified by me, I can feel it. Move things, change their place at will. The inside of this dome is my operating table.

  
**I CAN DO THIS**

  
A fire begins to burn inside my half-dead body. I will cure this amber lead disease. With a new resolution discovered, I get to work. Closing my eyes again I focus my mind. Amber lead is a disease caused by the build-up of lead in the body. That means I just need to extract everything. I begin by reviewing each point carefully. After examining my liver, I discover a huge amount accumulated there. I move next to a barrel below in the cave and pull my own liver out of my body. There is no pain. I take out all my insides like it's the most normal thing in the world and put my liver on top of the barrel.

  
-Let's start with this then.

  
I don't think I can cut my liver into pieces, if I did that I would die. Damn amber lead disease. I will have to remove the lead and put the liver back in my body. First I use the power of the devil fruit to collect all the lead from each part of the liver to leave it in one place, then I take the scalpel out of my bag. The time has come for me to use all the medical knowledge that I learned from my parents and my own studies. Human organs should not feel pain, if what I studied was correct. But nevertheless; my liver is still connected to me, even when removed with my power, if I hurt it I could still feel pain. I take a deep breath, can't even imagine how painful it will be. If only I had anesthesia…. But, I'm ready. I grab the scalpel with my right hand and cut through my own liver.

  
\- **Arrrggghhhh !!!!**

A shot of intense pain goes through me, like an electric shock, and I almost lose consciousness.

  
\- Ah ... ah, ah.

  
But I can't stop. I collect what little consciousness I have left and cut off the lead mass in one movement. Once again the sharp pain attacks me. I feel like I could die first from the pain. I'm not done yet. Knowing that I must finish this completely, I take a needle and thread from my bag. After suturing the wound in my liver, I return it to my body. Operation completed. After removing the lead from myself, I can feel the pain and fever dissipate. The operation has been a success and my life has been saved.

  
\- Did you see me Cora-san? I can really use the _ope-ope_ fruit you stole for me! Thanks to you I get my life back!

  
Inside the cave, I strung hard, trembled, rejoiced, and the pain faded. Tiredness washed over me as I enjoyed the relief. I can't sleep while the fire is still on but I'm at my limit. I just need…

  
Sleep….

  
As I start falling asleep, I could have sworn I saw Cora-san standing in front of me. He is looking at me like he always did: a dark hood over his head, that strange clown makeup ... smiling.

* * *

  
I am somewhere warm, covered by something soft. I vaguely remember having a happy dream, but forgot what it was. Slowly I wake up. Once my eyes are open, I realize that I am in a bed staring at a wooden ceiling that I have never seen before.

  
_Where am I?_

I get out of bed and look around me. There is a desk, an aquarium where goldfish swim, and a large fireplace housing a blazing fire. Somehow, I have been brought into someone's house. While I am meditating, I hear a clicking sound from the bedroom door and it opens.

  
-Oh, you're finally awake.

  
An old man I don't know came in with a bowl of soup. He lookes around sixty years old, white hair slicked back, covered by a dark red sun visor, he's wearing a tropical shirt with shorts and sandals. No matter how you look at him, that is a suspicious old man. On top of that, what he is wearing wasn't even close to what anyone should wear in the middle of a snowstorm, in winter.  
But, anyway, I have to find out who that man is. Thanks to the actions of Cora-san, Doflamingo and the Donquixote family think I have been taken over by the Marines. But once they find out that the boy wasn't me, they will come to Swallow island to try and find me. This is how much Doflamingo wanted the power of the _Ope-Ope_ fruit. If he put a price on my head, there is no doubt that someone would hand me over to him. The old man in front of me could have already contacted the family and be on his way to this place, now.

  
-You must be hungry- said the old man. He came over to me and set the soup on the side of the bed. A wonderful smell hits my nose and I swallow hard. I have not eaten in days. I want to jump into that soup. But I don't even touch it, instead, brandishing my scalpel, I jump on the old man, catch his neck with my left arm, and point the scalpel at his throat.

  
\- What's your plan, old man? -I'm not fully recovered yet, but there is no way this old man can be better than me. With that in mind, I demand that he tells me what he wants. But he doesn't even flinch.

\- Well, good… .HA!

  
-Wah!

  
In the blink of an eye my body spins and I hit the ground very hard.

_What happened?_

  
\- I may be old but my body is in my twenties. You lost the second you got behind me. - The old man had pulls me over his shoulders. Although I am a child, I had trained and learned to fight with the Donquixote family. I must have overestimated myself. I get up quickly and face the old man. I look at him intensely with eyes trying to intimidate.

  
-You look like a wild animal with those eyes. - The old man doesn't try to attack me, simply lifts the spoon from the soup bowl and then moves it towards me.

\- Eat, you almost froze to death. You have to take some livelihood.

  
It does look delicious. A light brown broth with meat that could be beef or chicken. There is some colorful vegetable in it, and it whets my appetite. But… I'm scared. He could have adulterated it with sleeping drugs, making me fall again and buying time for Doflamingo to get here. I have to be careful. I can't let my guard down.

  
-I suppose you believe that there is something strange there, eh? Can't trust strangers? - I say nothing, determined not to take my eyes off the old man. I watch him put the spoon in his own mouth. A spoonfull, then two, he relishes the soup.

  
\- You should be able to tell by now that there is no poison in it. Take it easy, I'm not your enemy and not on the side of justice either, but I'm not the kind of trash to take advantage of a dying child. -Next, the old man shoves the spoon in front of my face again. Without thinking I take it with my left hand, in my right the scalpel is still pointed at the man. I can almost feel the nutrition expanding in my body. Suddenly I realize that I am crying. The soup is so good, so warm that it makes me realize that my life has been saved. With all these feelings combined, I can't hold back the tears.

  
\- shit ... it's so good, so good !! -I can't stop once I've tried it. I drop the scalpel at my side and finish the soup, meat, vegetables, everything.

  
\- I'll bring you seconds - the old man laughed. He says it like someone who has picked up a stray cat that is finally tame.

  
I take a bath at the insistence of the old man. Oh, I haven't had one in a long time. The only memories that float through my mind are of walking under the snow that kept falling, looking for the neighboring city. For the first time, I realize how nice it feels to take a hot bath.

  
_Aaah…_

  
As I wash myself, I take a look in the mirror and notice something vastly different about me. It is gone…. The skin bleached from amber lead disease is gone, it is back to normal. I touch my whole face, checking that the disease has completely disappeared. I feel tremendous relief, more than I have ever felt in my life. I am happy at the idea of not having that disease. My whole body relaxes and I'm simply carried away by the sensation of the warm water. When I come out of the bathroom a set of clean clothes is waiting for me.

  
\- They belonged to my son. I'm glad I kept them. They are old, but there should be no problem with them.

  
After changing my clothes, the old man and I sit looking at each other's faces. Not like before. There is no atmosphere of imminent danger. It seems as if somehow, my suspicions about the old man have disappeared.

  
\- So….

  
\- What?

\- You really… did you save me?

\- Ah, as I was coming back from town I heard a scream come from a cave. I went to investigate and saw a boy with dirty and torn clothes passed out and alone. I couldn't just let you die. I would not have been able to sleep peacefully at night. So I brought you and put you to bed.

\- I see- so this old man had nothing to do with Doflamingo, he just saved me of his own free will. Suddenly I felt sorry.

\- Hey, old man.

\- Hm?

\- I think I should thank you for saving me.

\- What a bitter child! Boy, the world is about give and take. You owe me now. Remember that.

\- I get it.

\- Now, tell me your story and we will be at hand. What the hell was a child doing alone in a cave with this climate? It must be for a reason.

  
From my point of view, I calmly begin to explain to him how I got into the situation he spoke of. I tell him that I had grown up in Flevance, the white city, learning about medicine from my parents. I tell him about the amber lead disease outbreak and how the government refused to help. About how a war broke out, how they killed my parents and friends and burned my sister alive.  
I explain to him how I lost hope in the world and joined a pirate crew, and how my savior, a man named Corazon helped me. Going through all these points, I feel like they are lifting a weight, like I had been waiting to tell someone all of this. However, I chose not to say anything about the _ope-ope_ fruit. I'm afraid that the old man may think I'm disruptive, or that he will try to steal it for money or change his behavior towards me in any way. I simply tell him that an excellent doctor managed to cure my illness. When I finish my story, the old man crosses his arms and sighs, deep in thought.

  
\- I see boy… .you have lived longer than any child should have the right to.

\- I'm not a boy, my name is Trafalgar Law

\- Law huh? They gave you a very good name, So let's see, now you are completely alone, with nowhere to go and with no goal in mind, aren't you?

\- a goal ... I certainly don't have that.-Until now, all I could think about for a long time was taking the world with me. Then with Cora-san, the goal became saving my life, but since that's no longer a problem, I can't think of anything I want or need to do.

\- What do you want to do?- the old man asks.

\- I have no idea- I answer

\- So - the old man slaps his knees with his hands - you should stay here until you find out.

\- Is that not a problem?

\- I don't see how it would be.

What he says makes me happy. I was alone in a strange land, too scared to go to town ... to be offered a warm bed and food indefinitely, it is an immense help.

  
\- Remember though, life is about giving and redeeming! That is my creed, so you will help me too. Washing and cleaning, as well as helping me out on the farm. There is a lot of work I can give you. I'll give you a safe place to live and you'll lend me your job, any problem with that?

  
_What's up with you old man?_

  
The way he says it, he makes it sound like he doesn't want to sound nice. It's so strange that I smile without thinking.

\- Oh, you finally showed me a smile- after saying that, the old man laughed pleasantly.

\- Tell me, what's your job anyway, old man? I refuse to help you rob people or something.

\- Idiot, what kind of person do you think I am? I don't do something like that.

\- I don't know anything about you, or what kind of person you are.

\- Oh sure. I haven't even introduced myself. Open up your ears and listen! My name is Wolff, the genius inventor Wolff!

\- A genius inventor? You? - I take another look at the visor and the flashy shirt he's wearing. He looks more like a scammer than an inventor.

\- You don't seem to believe me. Wait here.- The old man leaves the room and comes back holding a box of foreign objects.

\- I'll let you watch for free. Go ahead, take a look at my glorious inventions! Here's the hot spring anytime! Version 1! With this you can change even the coldest water into hot water in a second. It is no longer necessary to spend time heating a bath.

\- aah.- I guess it is convenient. I wonder if this old stranger could make up something like this.

\- However, it has a flaw. There is no way to set it to a certain temperature, so it boils the water instantly until it evaporates.

\- THAT IS USELESS!

\- Wait wait wait! That's not all I have, how about this? Super cleaner! Version 3! reacts to the presence of dirt and trash and collects it. Just leave it like that and your home will be clean in no time!

\- Aah….

\- But this also has a flaw. If you leave it running for more than 3 minutes, it will explode and take your home with it.

\- That's more than a flaw! This is junk!

\- You know, the first version of this could not distinguish between junk and what not. It almost ate my foot.

\- Stop! That is grotesque!

The old man continues to show me his inventions, but they are all useless and faulty contraptions.

\- Well, with that I hope you have come to understand my genius.

\- I have NOT understood it, because you don't have a speck.

\- In any case, starting tomorrow, you will help me with my research. You will have to memorize what is dangerous and what is not.

\- Seriously? This job could kill me- I think as I sigh deeply. But whatever.

\- Hey Junk-ya

-That's worse than old man !!

\- I haven't paid you to save my life. Besides, I am truly grateful that you allow me to stay here. So, I am in your hands. - With that, I extend my right hand. Wolff growls with laughter and shakes it.

\- I'll make you work until your bones ache! Otherwise, it wouldn't be a give and receive.

* * *

I started my life with Wolff. I would get up at dawn to help him with farm work and his inventions. I read a lot of books, fed myself hot food, and even did some training with a sword that I had kept. At night, we chatted and laughed together. It was a normal, calm and peaceful life. Farm work was what surprised me the most. Winters on Swallow Island were long and it was actually almost impossible to grow vegetables. However, Wolff had built a vinyl greenhouse behind his house, made a device to control the temperature and indoor lighting so he could grow and harvest all year round.

\- What do you think Law? With vegi version 7, you can harvest vegetables from a greenhouse! I want to grow more and more to eventually sell them in town!-

That name was terrible, but it was actually a great invention. Also, the feeling of being able to help other people with that wasn't too bad either. Some days, we went hunting together. The first time a boar appeared, I worried about the old man, but Wolff was good with the gun and took the boar down with one shot. I tried to ask him how he got so good at it, but all I got in response was that he learned it in the past. I didn't push it further. Wolff was someone with whom I could eat, laugh and talk on various subjects, but I knew well not to cross the lines. And he knew he shouldn't be nice to me or treat me like a child. It was the perfect relationship for me. Once a week, Wolff would go into town to sell his vegetables and inventions, then buy whatever we needed with the money. I never went with him. I'd rather stay here anyway. I saw no reason to interact with the townspeople. There should be no reason. When Wolff was away from home, I would read medical books and when I got tired of it, I would go for a walk to clear my head.

  
A month after Wolff had taken me in, I have finally gotten used to normal life. But I still haven't found my target. Above all, I don't think it is that important. While mulling things over on one of my hikes, I walk up to the forest entrance and see a huge polar bear with two boys.

\- stop! Please stop!

_The polar bear is talking…? What is happening?_

There should be no such thing as talking bears in this world. But, I had heard once a while ago about a talking reindeer, so I suppose a talking bear might be possible.  
The situation seems troublesome. The two boys are kicking the dull from behind while he stands helpless.

\- Haha! You are too weak to be a bear! - The boy who wears a cap over brown hair hits the bear's head with his fist.

\- Hurry up and go back to the forest!- The other boy with a hat with the word PENGUIN on it, repeatedly hitting the bear.

 _.. what a twisted pair_  
  
The scene before me is so unpleasant that I clic my tongue without thinking. The two boys hear the sound and turn to me.

\- who the hell are you? What are you doing there looking ?! Do you have something to say? - The boy in the cap spat those questions like a common bully.

\- Not really. I have no interest in you or the bear, so do whatever you want.

\- Don't be arrogant! I do not like your attitude. But I'll let it pass if you leave all your valuables- the one in the penguin cap is facing me.

_There are annoying people like this no matter where I go, uh?_

\- I said stop looking at me! - The two boys take out a knife and a bat respectively and approach me.

\- _Room_ \- I said in a low voice. A circular dome spreads out, with me at its center.

\- W-what the hell is this ?? !!

\- Are we locked up ??? !!

So far everything iss fine. While Wolff wasn't around , I'd been honing my skills with the _ope-ope_ fruit. I can move and control anything within the circle. Just like that, I take two rocks at my feet and throw them into the air. So…

  
\- _Shambles_ \- I exchange the boys' places for the rocks. The boys are in the air in an instant and fall to the ground, knocked out.

I thought this power was not only for medical purposes and could also be used for fighting, but that was better than expected. It wouldn't have felt right if I had killed them, so just to be sure, I take their pulse. They are simply unconscious and will probably wake up soon. All right, problem solved. Soon Wolff will be home and I should start making dinner. Just as I was turning to walk back, the polar bear grabs me from the back.

\- W-wait

\- what do you want?

\- Thanks for saving me. I was so scared .. I couldn't move!

\- They came for me and I just defended myself. I wasn't helping you.

\- But still ! Still, wow! I'm so happy!

After saying that, the polar bear starts crying while still grabbing my clothes. How annoying. Since it doesn't seem like he will let me go anytime soon, I reluctantly lead him to a nearby cave so we can talk.

\- Why didn't you defend yourself? Are you a bear, or not? How could you lose to that pair?

\- They actually talked to me.

\- That's it?

\- I thought we could get along.

\- That's what you thought while they beat you?

\- Yes. I thought if I let them do it, maybe we could become friends. - Friends. It is a word I hadn't heard in a long time. I no longer have any. They were all burned in a fire. I suddenly remember what my family and church members were like when they were alive. Those hadn't been such bad times. As my mind wanders, I begin to wonder why a polar bear is here, alone. Actually, if I think about it, he is probably just like I had been before. I've become a little more interested in his situation.

\- Tell me, you live around here?

\- No, I just arrived on this island yesterday. I don't know anyone and I don't have anywhere to stay.

\- Where are you from?

\- Know the _New World_?

\- I've heard about it. - I collected information from the Donquixote family about the seas where they had been. The _New World_ is the other half of the _grand line_. Pirates looking for the One Piece need to go there, eventually.

\- Have you really come here from the _New World_? - The bear nods. It seems like something normal in the _New world_ is something completely different here. Sea currents, weather, magnetism. All the things one needed to know to navigate are confusing in that place. That is what Doflamingo had told me, it is a place where normal pirates and explorers can't travel in a normal ship. And being able to get to this island in the North Blue ...

\- Did you come here in your own boat? - If so, that would make the bear an incredible navigator.

\- Of course not. I know a little about navigation, but ... um, there is an island called Zou in the New World.

\- Zou? What a strange name, is that your place of origin?

\- Yes, I live there with others of my kind, the mink tribe. It is peaceful in Zou and I am on good terms with my family, but one day my older brother disappeared.

\- Didn't he say he was leaving?

\- Nothing, not a word. So I decided to go in search of him and got on a boat. But by the time I realized it was the wrong ship, I was already on the North Blue.

\- That was a big mistake.

\- Yes, also, the ship shook a lot and I was almost struck by lightning, I thought I was going to die!

\- Hahaha you are an idiot. I guess a talking bear is still just a bear.- As soon as I say that, the polar bear suddenly gets up, grabs a rope from the ground and wraps it around his neck. - Wait wait!! are you trying to kill yourself ??? !!

\- Maybe I should. An idiot like me is better off dead.

\- I was kidding, I was kidding! You are so sensitive ...- I take the rope and throw it away to try to calm the upset bear. If he died because of a stupid joke, I wouldn't be able to live with myself.

\- Okay, so you don't have any place to stay, do you?

\- No, I really want to get on a ship to the new world, but it is very difficult to find a ship that goes to such a dangerous place. I can't take a boat on my own, with my navigation skills, I would get caught in a storm and die.

\- Well then, I guess your goal is to improve your navigation skills so that you can go out again and find your brother.

\- That's right, I guess.

\- Okay, come with me- I ignore the dubious polar bear and start walking. Soon he comes shuffling after me.- So, name?

\- Oh, my brother's name is Zepo, in mink language it means handsome!

\- I wanted to say your name, tell me your name!

\- Oh me? I'm Bepo!

\- Bepo huh? Not bad, easy to say. I am Law. Trafalgar Law.

\- Law ...

\- Well, now shut up and do what I tell you Bepo ... **WHAT?!?** Don't look at me like that !! I'm NOT GOING TO HUNT OR EAT YOU!

\- Are you sure? Aren't you going to find a group of people to turn me into a bear stew or something?

\- Why would I do that ?!

We walked for thirty minutes and returned home. Wolff was already there.

\- Hello Junk-ya

\- How many times do I have to tell you that it's not junk-ya ?! It's genius inventro Wolf… **WHAT THE HELL IS THAT HUGE BEAR?!?!**

\- Oh, this is Bepo. He's a polar bear and he's lost. He will live here now, so be nice.

\- You didn't think of asking the owner of the house for permission first ????!?!

\- Well, I mean, it could probably help with work too, Junk-ya

\- Ah, hi, I'm Bepo. They brought me here without explaining anything.

\- **IT SPEAKS!!**

\- Don't yell junk-ya. So can he stay here?

\- I'm sure you brought him here for a reason, huh?

\- Maybe- I look away.

\- At least tell me the details.

It takes me about an hour to explain to Wolff everything about Bepo while the 3 of us sit on the couch. Wolff asked Bepo about his past and his family. Once there is a pause in the conversation, he goes to the kitchen and makes tea for the three of us. We drink in silence. Bepo seems a little less nervous as he sips his tea. I'm still somewhat surprised, from any point of view it is a bit surreal to see a bear drinking tea from a cup.

  
-I think I understand now - Wolff breaks the silence suddenly - You want to learn more about navigation and go in search of your brother. I can't believe the bears care about their family, but hey, it's not a suspicious motive or anything. Plus you answered all my questions, you don't seem like the bad guy.

\- So…?

\- So you can stay here. But don't forget the give and take! Bepo, I'll have you work your fair share, too! Don't expect to eat free! And if you don't work, I'll kick you out, do you understand?

\- Aye! Understood! I will do my best to be helpful! - Wolff retires to his room, growling and muttering about how his life is now full of brats. I think I'm finally starting to understand him. He growls when he's a little happy.

  
Bepo and I sleep in the same room. I claim the bed because well, I got here first, and put a mattress on the floor for him.

\- Hey Law, why are you being so nice to me?- Bepo asks in a low voice, not long after turning off the light.

_Why am I being nice? I have no idea._

\- Because I feel like it- Is all I can answer. Satisfied by the answer, Bepo soon begins to snore. Perhaps the story about his family captivated me.

Sometimes I think about what a family really is. I had my father, who taught me medicine, my mother, always kind, and my sister, Lami, who never stopped smiling while suffering from amber lead disease. That's right, a long time ago I had a family. But now they are all dead. I got it out of my mind when I wanted the world to feel my despair. Though recently, I have been confused. With Wolff's kindness towards me and towards Bepo ... It seems like I want to start believing in people again. It was all thanks to Cora-san that I was able to get to this point. All thanks to the man who gave up his own life trying desperately to save mine.

  
_What was Cora-san for me?_

  
We had no blood relationship and we didn't even know each other that long. Yet somehow, we were family. A love that could be felt without even putting it into words. I was wondering if I could love someone like that again. If I stay with Junk-ya and the bear, can I come to love them? Or will it continue to be a give and take relationship, as the old man says, where we just use each other?

  
_What will it be? What should it be?_

No matter how hard I think about it, I can't find the answer. Even if I let time pass, I will probably never know the answer.

* * *

  
One month passes and the snowfall shows no signs of stopping. According to Wolff, the island is only hot for a quarter of the year. I don't really care since I have gotten used to the cold. Also, fencing or working on the farm makes me warm enough to sweat. And since Bepo is a polar bear, the cold obviously doesn't affect him either. Bepo is more skilled than he looks. Not only does he help out with Wolff's work, but he also cooks and does laundry and when he isn't doing those things he is studying navigation. A very useful bear.

  
One day, while Wolff was locked in his experiment room, Bepo and I were collecting vegetables in the greenhouse. We can grow things even in winter. I have to give the inventor credit, this is amazing.

  
\- Law! Can I harvest these plums too?

\- No idiot! What do you want? To make _umeboshi_ with them?

\- Of course, the _umeboshi_ is so good! It's the best with _onigiri_.

\- stop! Never talk about _umeboshi_ in front of me.

\- O-okay, I get it, don't yell at me ...

_Great, he's depressed again. What a sensitive polar bear._

  
Who came up with the invention of _umeboshi_? What is that acidity? It makes the tongue tingle. To me, that's a true devil fruit. I guess it doesn't matter, the old man will harvest them anyway and the two of them can eat it them without me. Suddenly, there's a loud explosion coming from the forest, and it must have been really big to hear it from this distance.

  
-LAW

  
-Yes, come on Bepo!

We leave the greenhouse and run into the forest. As we get closer, I can see a huge column of smoke rising from one place. I have no idea what happend, but there's always a chance that whatever it was, there might be an enemy. Bepo and I are on alert, trying to be as quiet as possible as we search for the source of the smoke. I can hear voices. Children crying. We come to a clearing and find 2 boys covered in blood, crying and screaming. Wait, they look familiar… They were the 2 children who had bullied Bepo before. "Cap" was bleeding from the side of his abdomen and "PENGUIN" was badly hurt, his right arm had been blown off from the elbow.

  
**Shit.** Even a novice doctor could immediately see that if they stayed like this, they would both die.

  
\- Bepo! Put "cap" on your back, I'll take "PENGUIN", we'll take them home to heal them!

\- A-AYE! Lets save them! - Bepo doesn't hesitate despite having been beaten up by these two not long ago. We begin to run back with the 2 boys on our backs and the severed arm in one hand.

\- It hurts so much.... - He's lost a lot of blood, but at least he's still awake and conscious. - We were ... attacked by a wild boar....

\- Shut up! Stop talking and stay still!- "PENGUIN" stopped talking and I hurried home.

Sprinting with someone else on my back isn't exactly easy. But after seeing the boys' injuries I knew I had no time to waste.

 **\- JUNK-YA -** I kicked open the door and walked into the house.

\- Law! What the hell are you doing bringing in more people? Wait... they're covered in blood !!

\- Both have been seriously injured, let me operate here!

\- I get it! I'll boil some water, focus on what you have to do! - Wolff hurries after hearing my seriousness. The 2 boys are left in the living room and I go to my room for my tools. When I returne, Bepo askes:

\- Law ... what can I do?- His voice is shaking.

\- I'll start with "cap"'s abdomen, Bepo you should stop "PENGUIN"'s bleeding, tie a rope to the end of his arm tightly and hold it! Then put his severed arm in a plastic bag and put it in ice water!

\- AYE AYE

I lift the boy wearing the cap on a table and check how deep the wound is. Okay, not bad. He lost a lot of blood but his organs were not seriously damaged. I don't need the _ope-ope_ fruit for this. I can do this with my own medical knowledge.

\- Hey, PENGUIN hat, are you there?

\- Y-yes....

\- Do you know your friend's blood type? If he don't get a blood transfusion, he will die. But if I give him the wrong blood, he will reject it. If that happens, his red blood cells will be destroyed and he will go into shock. I need to know what his blood type is.

\- I know ... it's ... type X. Same as mine. That's why I remember ... I'm sure.

-Type X ...

_Dammit. It's not my blood type. There is no time to try to get blood from elsewhere._

\- Law! Use mine! I am type X.

\- Junk-ya ... if that's the case, then there will be no problem ... but old man, these 2 have lost a lot of blood. Even if you are offering, it is a transfusion for 2 people. In the worst case...

\- Moron! I already know and I made my decision. Do not worry about me. When I was young, I lost more blood in battles than you can imagine. I am not a man so weak that will die from give blood to 2 children.

\- I understood. Then I will accept your offer.

From here on, it is a race against time. I take a needle and draw blood from the old man, placing it in a bag. Then I put a needle in "cap"'s arm and allow the blood to flow slowly into it. I start doing the same to "PENGUIN". All right, there are no big problems when it comes to blood transfusion.

\- Hey old man, are you okay? - I look at Wolff. He has given a lot of blood. More than the loss of bodily fluid, the threat of shock is high.

\- I don't need… ..you to worry about me, I'm just a little dizzy, as if… I got up too fast. You don't have time to worry about an old man like me, so hurry up and ... finish what you're doing.

\- I ... understand. Thank you.

\- Tch, it's just… give and take. I'll have you and Bepo do all the chores for ... a week after this ... - After saying this, Wolff collapses on the couch, completely exhausted.

I take some powder extracted from a very special plant and dissolve it in a little water, then injected it on the boy "cap". It's a sedative that I made after coming to this place. With it, I can make sure that he will not be conscious while I operate on him. I sterilize the scalpel in the fire, then I open the child's abdomen. His stomach is pierced but nothing I can't handle. I quickly suture the wound with a needle and thread, then check and make sure there are no other injuries. Looks good. I close his abdomen with the thread. 

\- Bepo! Bring "PENGUIN" here!

\- Understood! - He took the boy "cap" out from the table and placed him on the sofa and the boy with the PENGUIN hat took his place on the table. He was silent as he lay there, most likely too weak from blood loss to make any sound. Honestly, his operation will be much more difficult. To save his life, all I need to do is sew up his arm and give him a blood transfusion.  
But, I want him to be able to move his arm again after I re-attach it. Why do I think that, I can't tell. Only that it would be a disgrace for the medical field if I didn't try. Shame on my mother and father who ran a hospital to save lives and make people happy again. That's why.

I give "PENGUIN" the same anesthetic as the other boy, then I examine him. The arm had been dislodged by the explosion. The tissues are completely destroyed. If it had been cut by a knife or sword, reattaching it wouldn't be a big deal, but this is almost impossible.

  
_Can I really do this?_

  
Even with the _ope-ope_ fruit, there is no guarantee that I can easily join the body parts together. I have the knowledge and the ability, but ... I just have to try. Not for being nice. Not out of thanks. Not even for being a good person, I'm only doing it for one reason: my pride as a surgeon!

  
\- Junk-ya, I need to borrow your microscope- He may not live up to his name as the self-proclaimed genius inventor, but he has a lot of useful stuff lying around. I place "PENGUIN"'s arm under the microscope lens, tying it with a string, then I focus on the lens and wound. I can see clearly. Every blood vessel, every nerve, is visible.

\- Bepo! Bring me his arm!

\- AYE AYE

I also place the severed arm under the microscope. It had been cooled down and the cells are still alive. I can do this. I take the threaded needle and start sewing. Very, very carefully. If I make even a small mistake, all the effort will be in vain. I can't screw this up. Remember what dad taught you. Remember what you have read in countless books. First attach the muscles and tendons. Well, no problem. Next the nerves. If I screw this part wrong here, he will never use his arm again. I can't be wrong even by a millimeter. It has to be done to perfection. Quickly, but precisely, I connect the nerves. Time seems to have stopped. How long has it been since I started this operation? Two or three hours? Maybe more. My mind is very worn out. At this rate, I'll pass out.

\- Law, you're sweating. I will clean you up. I know I can't do anything else.

\- Ah, thanks Bepo

\- They won't die ... will they? You can save them ... right?

\- Of course I can, who do you think you're talking to? I'm the genius doctor Trafalgar Law! - I try to raise my own morale by stealing Junk-ya's phrase. I see. Just saying the word genius makes you believe it and gives you power. I continue the operation and finish connecting all the nerves. It should be perfect. It should. Firm ground to rearrange my tired feet and I begin to connect the blood vessels. Then the veins, then the arteries. Finally, I stitch the arm itself.

  
_Operation, finished._

  
I fall back with a thud.

\- LAW

\- LAW!

_I am so tired...._ _Don't look at me with such concern, Bepo ... old man._

\- Make sure ... the IVs for the transfusion stay where they are. I just ... I'm tired. I'll get up ... in a moment.- Just to say that I used all that was left of my energy. Relieved to have finished the operation, sleep hit me hard.

I sleep soundly, wrapped up in the comforting feeling of having accomplished what I said I would do. When I wake up, I immediately go to check on the 2 boys. They are still asleep, the anesthesia worked fine. I take out the IVs and inject them with a nutritional supplement that my father created. I check his pulses, normal. There is no fever. They seem to be safe.

\- Law, how are those brats?

\- Old man, are you awake?

\- Yes, I couldn't sleep thinking that I could wake up and see a couple of corpses.

\- No need to worry, my operation was a success. As long as they don't catch a cold they will be fine.

\- So that's it? I am happy.

\- Happy? That is a word that I had never thought I would hear you say, saving them does not benefit you in any way.

\- Saving the lives of 2 children is reward enough- While saying that, the old man hides his face, but I can feel his clumsy affection and it makes me happy.

Four days later they woke up. They seemed to understand what had happened to them. "Cap" was extremely weak from the stomach surgery, but he would be better once he ate some food.  
" PENGUIN" wasn't so lucky. I could have saved his life but if I had messed up the reattachment surgery, he would be unable to use his arm and would be in shock when he found out.

\- I'm going to remove the bandage. Let's see if you can move your arm and fingers.

\- Ok-okay.

He looks terrified, everyone in the room looks anxious while watching him, holding their breath. "PENGUIN" looks at his arm. A limb that could possibly hang useless for the rest of his life. He looks like he's concentrating. His pinky moves. Then in order, he moves the ring finger, the middle finger, the index finger, and the thumb. Then he slowly raises his forearm. It had been a success.

  
_I had been able to reconnect his nerves properly._

  
This is not a bad feeling. So this is the joy of a doctor that my mother and father talked about. I think I finally get it.

\- Ooohhh amazing, wonderful!- In the heat of the moment, Bepo hugs "PENGUIN". He seems to have completely forgotten that this boy had beaten him up. I heard a sob. The 2 boys were crying full of snot and drool.

\- Thanks! Thanks! - "PENGUIN" bows his head.

\- I thought I was already done for ... I was ... scared, but I'm alive thanks to you! - "Cap" says, still too weak to move. His face is a mess.

\- I only did it because I wanted to.- I walk away from them as I say this. I'm too embarrassed to let them see me smile.

* * *

After a week they were both in pretty good shape. Wolff and Bepo helped "PENGUIN" with his rehabilitation. Wolff, of course, growled a lot and did not look comfortable but he never tried to throw the boys out. Once they were stable, I asked them about what really happened, what they were doing in the forest. There was a lot of information they had to share.

\- Brats! First tell us your names. I am Wolff, the genius inventor! Say it with respect!

\- Ignore him. He does nothing but junk.

\- How dare you Law! Don't interrupt when I'm talking!-

The two boys look at each other and introduce themselves. The cap's name was Shachi and the PENGUIN's hat was Penguin, they say their names timidly, as if they were afraid of us.

\- Shachi and Penguin huh? Can you tell us how you got those wounds? - Wolff asks in a voice much less harsh than usual.

\- Penguin and I have been living in a shack we built in the woods for about two months.- Shachi winces from the pain from his stomach's wound and Penguin continues on for him.

\- We both went hunting, and there are trees with fruit even in winter. So we had no problem getting food. But that day, while we were cooking some meat, a wild boar must have smelled it and came running. We were caught off guard..the boar pierced Shachi's stomach.- Penguin takes a deep breath, as if he has used all his energy to speak.

\- Take your time- Wolff says as he hands Penguin a glass of water.

\- The boar turned to me. I couldn't escape and I couldn't leave Shachi there. So I ran to the cabin and grabbed a bomb that we had and tried to throw it, but it exploded before I could.

\- That explains your injury. Boy, why the hell do you have a bomb?

\- We… we stole it from the city. Just in case something dangerous happened while we were living in the woods.

\- I see, you should not be stealing, but I can see why you would want to protect yourself from the beasts- Wolff sips his tea. Hearing his story, one thing stood out. Something that I'm sure Bepo and Wolff are wondering as well.

\- Where are your parents?- There is no point avoiding the question. Being direct is the best at time's.

\- My parents and Shachi's died about half a year ago.- Penguin replies. I'm still processing those words when he continues speaking. - Our parents had a barbecue on the most beautiful beach on Swallow Island. They were all swimming. But the ocean was acting strangely, although no one noticed. Then a wave so big that it could have engulfed the island came crashing down. Shachi and I were far from the beach climbing trees so we were saved but… our parents were hit by the sea.- Penguin stops talking. He is trying to hold back the tears. After a while, he begin to speak in a low voice again. After hearing about their fathers, we also learned that the two had been sent to live with Shachi's aunt and uncle. It seemed like they wanted tools that they could use in their spare time instead of children. They manipulated Shachi and Penguin to steal jewelry and smuggle illegal weapons. They were fed with nothing but bread and water.

  
I listen to their story with a frown. I feel sick to my stomach. Angry that there are adults in the world that can take children who have just lost their parents and expose them to an even worse hell.

\- They never treated us like people. We were just slaves to them, so we ran away. But we had nowhere to go and no way to earn money, so we built a cabin in the forest and tried to live alone....but… we don't even know what the purpose of living is! - Penguin starts crying. He lowers his head, trying to muffle the sounds. Shachi is crying too, and he gets out of bed to sit next to Penguin.

\- If you hadn't saved us, we would have died in the forest. Thanks a lot! - Shachi turns to Bepo with a pained expression on his face and speaks with sudden determination. - Polar bear ... you took care of us all this time. Feeding us, helping with our rehabilitation ... there are no words that can express our gratitude!

\- You do not have to thank me. It is natural to help someone who is hurt, right?

\- It's more than that! We hit you. I kicked you, I hit you. Being nice to someone who has done that is more than natural! - Shachi turns to look at Bepo as he says this, then tilts his head down. Penguin copies it. - Polar bear, no, Bepo… thanks for helping us! We're really sorry! We shouldn't have taken our anger out on you.- Silence fills the room. Even after Bepo's told them they hadn't bothered him, they keep their heads down and cry.

"I don't know what the purpose of living is," Shachi had said. I could think the same.

 **Shit**. I do not know. I don't know why, but I feel horrible, almost like when I saw my city burn in rubble.

\- Hey, you two- I call Shachi and Penguin calmly. - You have nowhere to go, do you? I know you can't go back to your relatives' house either.

\- That is the only place we would never return to.

\- All right, then you won't. Be my subordinates. And for now, you can live here. - As soon as I say that, their faces lit up. They can tell I'm not kidding.

\- I told you this is my house! - The old man starts to complain, but I ignore him.

\- By the way, Bepo here is already one of my subordinates.

\- That's the first time I've heard of it! AYE

Shachi and Penguin look at each other. Then, they nod at the same time. In front of me, they both bow and say in unison "Please let us stay here!" Wolff sighs deeply and quietly comments on the increase of brats.

\- Hey kids! I guess it can't be helped ... I'll let the 4 of you stay here, but make no mistake! I am not your guardian and I don't want to be! I don't need family or friends! The only relationship I need is give and take! UNDERSTOOD!? If you want a place to live, you will have to help me around the house! Fair exchange! As soon as your wounds have healed, I'll put you all to work in the city so you can have a real job, any objections? - No one says anything and none of us seems upset with the proposal. Only Wolff's face turns bright red after giving his embarrassing speech.  
Sometimes I think about what Cora-san meant when he spoke of freedom.

The 4 of us, myself, Bepo, Penguin and Shachi have experienced immense loneliness in this world and somehow managed to overcome despair. I still don't know what freedom is, but I do know that it is comfortable to be in Wolff's house.

_I wonder why._

The old man who claims to live by giving and receiving never puts too much pressure on us. He treats us as equals and respects us. Thus, it is not bad to be here, as long as I live here, together with the others, I could even find that freedom that Cora-san never explained to me. I have no guarantees, but I think I'll find out. As long as the five of us continue with this strange coexistence, I am sure that I will find what I am looking for. Now that I think about it, maybe this world isn't so bad after all. As I watch the 4 being loud and boisterous, my mouth curves into a smile ... I can't help but feel happy for now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NOTES: This is an amateur translation, copying the automatic translations of the "photo translator" app, so there may be grammatical errors or inconsistencies.  
> The italic letters are the original names, both in Japanese and of places.  
> Before knowing the names of Penguin and Sachi, they refer to them as cap and PENGUIN's hat.  
> Short sentences are due to the Japanese writing style


	3. Chapter 2

\- Penguin, you dick! You know I don’t like that kind of meat!.

\- I don’t care! First come, first served!.

\- Hold on, both of you ate three pieces and I only had two! You guys are new here so you should be putting me first!

Dinner is always crazy like this. The reason is usually Shachi, Penguin, and Bepo fighting over food. Damn it. Should have just gave them all equal portions to begin with instead of piling everything on a single plate. That’s what I think as I quietly shovel my fourth piece into my mouth.

\- Shut up, you brats! How many times do I have to tell you to eat in silence!” Volff slams his fist on the desk as he starts his lecture. There's no doubt he’ll go on a tirade now. I try to sneak out of the room. Then I am grabbed roughly by the back of the neck.

\- You think you’re slick trying to run away by yourself, huh, Law?! Because if you, the leader, won’t shape up, these three won’t behave either!

\- You think I care? I made them my underlings but I don’t remember saying I’d take responsibility for them.

\- Why did I get stuck with such a smartass! Oh… when will my peaceful days return?

\- I would think this liveliness is better than spending all day making junk.

\- Be quiet, you damn brat!

In the end, I'm the only one scolded by Volff. Bepo and the other two look at me like they are sorry, but I know that tomorrow things will be exactly the same. Since we’ve been living together I’ve learned that these three will forget their transgressions in a day’s time.

Two months have flown by since the five of us started this life together. Eating meals, bathing, thinking of games to play, and bullshitting together under the same roof. It's the type of life I had never experienced until now.

When I was with Doflamingo, all I knew was despair. The only thing that kept me going was the desire to take the world out with me before I died. I didn’t have a though to spare to doing anything enjoyable. Doflamingo, Diamante, Lao G, Gladius; the four of them taught me many things, but to them I was just a “tool”.

I have no idea what kind of life is in store for me living with Volff and the others. But at least I know that they see me as a “human”, not a tool. As someone to talk to, and do stupid things, and to laugh with.

_My rage towards Doflamingo will never go away._

The need for revenge has settled deep in my chest, and sometimes it will sneak into my expression. But I have friends now. I have people who can allow me to forget the pain and the rage by distracting me with stupid things.

_That’s all I need._

We’ve managed to delegate the work effectively, too. At first no one knew what to do and there was a lot of fighting, but now we can all work together with no issues. Volff leaves the house every morning around 8 and heads to a research facility about 30 minutes away. For a month he’s had something he needs to do in town, so it's normal for him to come home after it gets dark.

\- I don’t know what Volff’s doing, I wonder if he’s all right? I’m worried he’ll burn out between doing his inventions and going into town- Bepo questions naively.

\- He’s fine. Mr. Junk is made of something else. Even this morning he was happily talking about one of his inventions. ‘Soon I’ll be able to show you a bird’s-eye view of the world!’ or something like that.

\- Is that so? I guess as long as he seems fine…

In reality, Volff is the picture of health. Just to be safe, I will give him a check-up occasionally, but his results are always normal. Not only that, but his strength and lung-power are better than that of a young man’s. He never talks about his past, but I can guess that he trained a lot when he was younger. When Volff is out of the house, the four of us work in the farm, go fishing, clean, and do the laundry. It can be annoying, but sometimes I can feel proud that we are able to do the work well.

During free time each of us will focus on the things we want to do. I spend most of my time reading medical books and learning how to use my power. Bepo uses his time to study navigation. Penguin and Shachi simply have a desire to get stronger. But since their way of doing things didn’t allow them to improve, I had to borrow weapons from Volff and teach them swordsmanship and gunnery.

It is tiring but it isn’t boring. Both of them have a knack for it, and since they actually listen to me, they improve rapidly. Seeing someone I'm teaching getting better at it is more rewarding than I thought it would be. Whenever I see how happy Penguin or Shachi are when they hit the bullseye, I can’t help but smile. Then, when Volff returns at night with food, we talk about what we did that day while we eat, and we sleep well. I have gotten used to this pattern, and I enjoy it for what it is.

But a nice life like that doesn’t last.

* * *

\- We’re all going into town tomorrow - Junk-ya says after dinner one night with a very serious face. - You remember what you all promised me, right? You’re gonna work in the town as well as helping me out. Two months have already passed. So I’m gonna hold you to your promise, because we live by give and take. If you’re gonna keep leaving here, I’ll expect you to pay room and board.- Volff looked at us in earnest. I don’t nod right away.

_I’ll go into town._

But just thinking about it scares me. I'm sure my Amber Lead disease is gone. Even the white marks on my face have disappeared, so I think the people in town won’t be frightened like last time.

_Still…_

I can’t forget my past, and it feels like it's muddying my insides. I remember walking through the snow with Cora-san. I remember the doctors we visited, at first smiling at me, then after mentioning the Amber Lead disease, their expressions turning to absolute disgust.

_I’m scared._

\- I’m going to bed. Tomorrow morning we’re heading out right after breakfast - Volff says as he returns to his room. There is no humor to his words; in fact they seem almost cold. After the old man left, the atmosphere in the room was heavy. No one seemed to be happy with what he said.

\- Law? - Bepo calls out to me with a small voice - Do we really have to go into town?

\- He’s right, we did promise. When we first came here we said we would work in the town. We can’t just pretend we didn’t.

\- But, it’s not safe. I shudder just thinking about what the townspeople would do when they saw a talking bear.

\- Would you rather stay here in the house indebted to the old man? I don’t think you do. If we don’t venture out, we won’t achieve anything.

_Damn it._

I'm mostly just saying that to myself. But I’m sure Shachi, Penguin, and Bepo feel the same way. No, it is different; they came here to escape the town, so they are probably more anxious.

\- Shachi, Penguin, is Pleasure Town particularly unsafe?- I ask the two of them.

\- No idea. We lived with our uncle and were told not to interact with the townspeople if we could help it.- Penguin answers timidly.

\- If we ever went outside, it was usually to exchange smuggled weapons or steal from shops, so we didn’t have any real interactions with people. Law, I… I really don’t want to go into town. Penguin and I did horrible things. They probably remember us. And my heart’s racing just thinking about my uncle or aunt seeing us.- Shachi hangs his head as he seems to choke on his words.

Ah, right. These two are just as afraid of “adults” as I am. Not all of them are as kind as Volff. Outside of this world where we can enjoy ourselves as kids lies a world where we are hated, mocked, bullied, or abused by adults. And it’s terrifying. Still…

\- It’ll be fine - is all I could say. The other three looked at me.

After a pause, I tell them about my Amber Lead disease; how I was persecuted because of it and viewed with disgust from those “adults”. And I tell them how hard it was to lose people very important to me. The other three were silent as they listened to my story.

\- Law, I had no idea that happened to you…- Penguin finally says in a weak voice.

\- It’s not really something that would have come up. Plus, the illness is gone now. All I want to say is that you all have to get stronger too. I was hated and persecuted too, but I’m still here. We’re going into town tomorrow, and we might remember some horrible things, but if you’re too scared to do something like that, you’ll never be able to move on. You’ll end up trembling in fear of what people think. You don’t want that, right?- I tell them calmly, trying to persuade them. Their expressions lighten up a bit.

\- Right, right! We can do this! Talk to the townspeople and work well in the town!- Bepo made a fist as he said this.

\- Yes, that’s what we should do - I reply.

\- Heh heh, I feel a little better. Thanks, Law. You’re really something. If I were in your situation I’d never be able to go into town- 

_Shachi, I feel the same way…_

Even now, I’m sweating through chills. Just wondering what might happen in town makes my stomach turn. I just think I have to act strong for their sake. Bepo, Penguin, Shachi. I told you to be my underlings, so I have a responsibility as your boss.

 _I have to act strong. I have to act c_ ool.

If I stay gloomy in this situation, the other three will continue to live in fear. I can’t let that happen. I have my own pride. And I’ll do some things I don’t want to in order to protect that pride.

\- All right, let’s get some sleep. The old man will lecture us again if we sleep in

\- Aye-aye! - It seems I was at least able to make them feel better. We all went to bed. It all starts tomorrow. We’ll be fine, I’m sure of it. I continue to try to convince myself as I bury myself under the covers and close my eyes.

The next morning the five of us sit at the table eating eggs Penguin's made for us. Junk-ya doesn’t say much.

_Well, damn. At least say something._

The old man should know how terrified we are. Uncertainty is welling up in me. Maybe the old man is just like everyone else, using us as tools to make money. But I couldn’t see any lies jumbled up in the kindness that he has shown us these past few months. I can’t tell. I have no idea how to read him, so I simply sit there in my own anxiety.

\- All right, time to head out.- We follow Volff and get on a large buggy, which is one of the old man’s inventions and can sit up to eight people. I sit on the passenger side, and Bepo and the others sit in the back.

The buggy makes it to the town with incredible speed. I can hear the others behind me talking, but they sound spiritless. I glance at Volff as he drivings, but I have trouble trying to read his expression. We reach the entrance of the town in twenty minutes. Just like the first time I came here, the first thing noticeable is a sign that reads “Pleasure Town”. We will be entering this town to mingle with the people and find work to do.

I let out a large sigh. I have to keep it together. I have to protect my underlings. My friends.

\- Okay, let’s go.- Volff keeps saying very little as he walks ahead of us. We follow him on unsure feet. The town's very lively. I hadn’t noticed the last time, but the place is full with the voices of people selling food and goods.

\- We have some great fish today! Come on, get some!

\- Our meat is the best! Now for a special price, 30% off!

In a large square there are people dancing and singing as well. It seems there is some sort of festival going on. Looking around, there are tattoo parlours, fortune-tellers, even shops that sell instruments and clothing. The amount of things going on is a little overwhelming. But the thing that shocks me the most is how the townspeople acted towards Volff.

\- Hey Volff! It’s been awhile! I just got in something that I think you can use for an invention! Buy it!

\- I’ll take a look at the shop later.

\- Mr. Volff! Oh my, who are those children tagging along with you, your grandchildren?

\- No, idiot! They’re just some freeloaders.

\- Oh is that so? They’re so precious though. Take some apples, won’t you? No charge for children!

\- In that case, I’ll take them.

People continue to call out to Volff as we keep walking. It almost seems as if he was the face of this town. And due to us being with him, people extend their respect towards us. No one looks at us with disdain or disgust.

\- Are you more at ease now? - Volff asks with his usual smile, so different from his cold attitude from this morning. - About 20 years ago, there wasn’t much left of this town. Because of pirates. So they decided to ‘make a town people can be happy in, a town they can enjoy being in.’ That’s why they’re not the type of people to be scared of a talking polar bear. These folk are as open as they can be. And that’s really the heart of this place.

\- Old man, you knew it would be like this, huh - I ask.

\- Of course. A genius like me can even see a little of the future.

\- Then why not tell us ahead of time?

\- I doubt you would have believed me, and I doubt it would have made you less anxious. You can’t really learn kindness until you experience it firsthand.

He isn’t wrong. Even if he had tried to explain the situation, we wouldn’t have trusted what he said. But certainly, having the townspeople talking to us as if we were part of the bustling town made the fear and the anxiety from before start to disappear.

\- All righty, we’re going to residential office. In order for you brats to work here you need permission.

We walk out of the square and come upon a small, brick building which appeares to be the residential office.

\- Ladd! You there?- A man appears in answer to his call. He's wearing a red uniform, and a blade hangs off his waist. I suppose this is the man in charge.

\- Oh, if it isn’t Volff! It’s a rare sight to see you visiting me.

\- I have something to ask of you. Can you find work for these brats? I’ve been looking after them at my house.

\- Looking after them? You? Why on earth for?

\- There’s not really a reason. I just allow them to live with me in exchange for lending me their help. Just a matter of give and take.

\- I’ll just leave it at that, then. Sign here as their legal guardian. Then all they need to do is walk around town and find a place they want to work. - After Volff signed his name, we all followed suit. Seeing all our names next to each other on the paper, it is strange.

_It is almost like we were a family._

\- Hey, Volff -Ladd calls out with a much more serious tone.

\- Yes?

\- Do you really have no plans of coming back? You know everyone would welcome you. Everyone would treat you and those kids well.

\- Hah hah, sorry but, these brats wouldn’t like that. And I’m too used to my way of doing things. Plus, there’s no way I can do the experiments or inventions I want in this town. A washed-up old man like me deserves to live on the outskirts.

\- I get it. I won’t say anything more. But know that if you change your mind you can let me know.

\- Hmph. I’ll remember that.- Volff’s words are laden with a kind of sadness, but I can’t quite explain what it is.

After that, we discussed with Volff what kind of work we wanted to do and searched around town for it. I ended up at the town’s clinic. Bepo chose a factory where he could put his strength to use. Penguin would work as a waiter, and Shachi would help out at a salon. Volff came with each of us to give his word that that we were trustworthy and explain that we would work our hardest. Thanks to him, we were able to start working. Things were going so smoothly that it made me more anxious that we wouldn’t do well.

\- I always wanted to be a stylist! Once I learn, I’ll be able to cut your hair!

\- You always were good with your hands, Shachi. It’s a good fit for you. Hm, I wanted to try being a waiter but I’m not sure I’ll be good with customers. I guess as long as the cooks aren’t mean…

\- I’m in a factory. I wonder if I’ll be able to use drills or loading shovels?! I always wanted to try using machines like that!

The three of them seem to have forgotten their morning full of fear. Oh man. But I would be lying if I said I'm not just as excited as them. At first I will just do odd jobs at the clinic, but I am happy just to be involved in medicine again. It makes me remember the smiling faces of my mother and father as they helped their patients. It’s been a long time since then, but just thinking I’m working in the same environment lits a fire in me.

\- But, it’s a little scary to think about messing up…- Bepo mutters.

\- Don’t worry, Bepo. Even if you get injured and covered in blood, I’ll fix you up at the clinic.

\- Assuming I do get injured! Aye-aye!

_Hah hah. What a goof._

I had never thought I’d be able to have fun like this after hearing I’d have to deal with adults again. Volff can be abrasive, but he deserves to be thanked. He has been watching over us in amusement, but I've noticed his face growing grimmer.

\- There’s one more place we need to visit. Let’s go brats.- With that, he starts walking in the direction opposite from the town entrance.

\- What’s up, Junk-ya? I thought we were heading home once you bought screws and coils for your inventions.

\- There’s food and necessities already at the house - Penguin and Bepo add but Volff stays silent and continues walking. We follow after him, not understanding what's going on.

\- Hey… you know where we are, right?

\- Yes…- behind me, Penguin and Shachi talk in hushed voices. They seem to be pretty restless. After a little more walking, Volff stops abruptly. In front of us stands a huge mansion. I wonder if whoever lives here is a friend of the old man.

\- W-why are we here…?-I look at Penguin next to me, white as a sheet.

\- Why?! I never wanted to see this place again…- Shachi’s voice is shaking. I understand everything when I look at them. This is the house of the uncle they had lived with. - What’s the meaning of this, Volff! Why would you take us here?!- Shachi screams, on the verge of tears.

\- Shachi and Penguin, even if you say you were forced to do the things you did, you can’t deny that what you did was wrong. If you just try to sweep it under the rug, eventually someone in town will learn about it. If that happens, they won’t trust you again. That’s why we have to settle things.

\- B-but, we don’t have the courage to talk to our aunt or uncle! I have been shaking this entire time… - Penguin’s teeth chatter as he holds back his tears.

\- It’ll be fine- Volff says, he reaches his arms around both Penguin and Shachi and places his hands on their shoulders. “You just have to be there. I’ll do the talking. It’s my job as the adult.” As if to say ‘believe me’, Volff opens the gate to the mansion, headed for the door, and knocks. Almost immediately, a woman wearing a maid outfit appears.

\- Who calls?

\- I’m the Genius Inventor Volff. Sorry to intrude, but I’d like to speak with the owner of the house.

\- I see. But do you have an appointment?

\- Just tell them I’ve brought Penguin and Shachi

\- Understood.- The maid returns inside. After a short while, a man wearing a gold suit covered in expensive-looking jewels appears.

\- Well it really is Penguin and Shachi! Did you really bring them back to me, old man?- Although it should have been their first time meeting, the man says it like he knows Volff well. It's the kind of voice adults use when they’re looking down on someone. I know immediately that this is the man who used Penguin and Shachi like tools.

\- Just to be sure, you are Shachi’s uncle, right?

\- Correct, I’m Shachi and Penguin’s guardian. After they disappeared I’ve been at quite a loss. Sorry you had to go out of your way to bring them back here.- The man in the gold suit edges closer to Shachi and Penguin as he talks, but Volff moved to stand in between them.

\- Huh, what’s with you? I haven’t seen them in so long. They must be anxious, having been away from home, so it’s best to get them inside as soon as possible

\- You really think I’d hand them over to you?

\- What are you saying? Have you lost your mind? Ah, I see! You wouldn’t bring them back without some sort of reward, right? How much do you want? 500 thousand Berries? 1 million? I’ll give you whatever you wish for bringing my things back to me.

\- **"Things…?’”** \- Volff raises his eyebrows. He looks like nothing I have ever seen him before; like he is ready to throw hands.- I didn’t bring them here to hand them over to you.

\- What?

\- You’ve made this two do terrible deeds. Smuggle weapons, steal jewelry. Is this all true?

\- You damn brats! You told him about that?! Could you be any stupider… I guess I didn’t discipline you enough!- The man raises his fists at Penguin and Shachi, eyes filled with a crazy rage. The trauma of their past glues them to the spot in fear, and they do not even try to run away. Volff stops the punch.

\- Get out of my way, old man! ...What… kind of strength?! Stop, you’re going to break my hand!

\- Is this how you ‘disciplined’ these kids all that time?

\- Of course! What’s wrong with it? I was the one who gave them a place to live after their parents died! They were nothing but trash, but I used them to their fullest potential! If they messed up, I’d hit them! That’s how I break in my things! I turned trash into tools I could use! What’s bad about that?!

My body won’t stop shaking. But it isn’t in fear. Hearing him talk that way about Shachi and Penguin, about my friends, fills me with anger.

\- Fuck you!- I scream unconsciously. Hatred and disgust swirl around inside me, and I can not control my emotions. - These two are my subordinates! I won’t let scum like you call them ‘things’!-

\- Law…- Shachi’s tearful voice reaches my ears.

\- Do you have you any idea how they feel? Their parents died and the only adult they could rely on did nothing but terrible things to them. Do you have any clue how hard it was for them?!

\- You keep running your mouth like you know! I took these brats in, gave them a place to live, a bed to sleep in, and food to eat! Well, more like I gave them scraps. But for trash like them it was plenty!

\- You!- I'm unable to control my anger, and fly at him, fist first. But Volff gets to him before I do.

\- All right, stop talking.- Volff slams his fist into the man’s stomach. He crumples on the floor and losses consciousness.

\- Shachi, Penguin!- Volff calls out to them. - You are not tools! And you’re not trash! Your lives have meaning, to me, yea! You’re my housemates, and you shouldn’t let the words of a man like this hurt you! - Bepo and I just stand in silence. Shachi and Penguin kneel on the ground and cry. There are things I want to say but I let Volff say them for me.

\- Volff! What’s happened?- The residential officer, Ladd, comes running out of breath.

\- Oh Ladd, good timing. This man and his wife, who is probably inside, are guilty of forcing children to smuggle weapons and steal from the town. I’d like you to search the premises.

\- I had heard rumors of them before but, I can’t do anything without proof.

\- If you need proof, I have plenty. Here’s papers I stole from the organization he sold weapons and drugs to. The type of drugs, amounts, and buyers’ names are all written.

\- How did you get something like this?

\- I asked around for information for about a month, and snuck into their hideout. Well, I got into a bit of a scuffle getting that piece of paper yesterday.

\- Junk-ya, are you saying the ‘errand’ you had to run in town was…?

\- I didn’t think it would take me that long to find the hideout. Plus, I had to fight off five of them when I got there, it was a waste of labor.- That was the reason he had been running around town every day. Five people… to fight off that many alone, the old man is stronger than I thought.

\- That’s enough evidence for me to search the house. Stay here a bit while I get backup - Shortly after, some other officers arrive and go into the house. Just as Volff had said, they find plenty of evidence of illegal activities in the rooms of Shachi’s uncle and aunt. Not just the things Shachi and Penguin had talked about, but also illicit drugs, as well as plans for kidnapping and human trafficking off the island. The two were arrested by the residential officers.

\- Sorry you had to go through the trouble, Volff- Ladd removed his hat and bowed his head as he talked.

\- I only repaid the favor of you getting the brats some work. Think of it as a bonus.

\- You never change, huh? You only choose the path that’s the most work for you.

\- I’m causing a lot of trouble, but this is the life that’s best for me.- Ladd laughs when he hears that. Volff frowns and looks away so as not to let us see how red he has gotten.

\- Volff!- Shachi and Penguin go up to him.

\- Hey kids, didn’t mean to make you witness such things. But you don’t need to worry about being caught up in what those two were doing. You’ll be able to work here with no fear- Volff kneels down in front of them and places a hand on each of their heads. He pats them on the head, tousling their hair. - There’s no one else around to scare you anymore.- Before he has finished speaking, Shachi and Penguin bury their heads in his chest and criy loudly. Volff smiles broadly as he holds the two of them, covered in snot and drool.

\- Hey Law, Volff was doing everything for us from the beginning, wasn’t he?- Bepo ponders.

\- I guess -I return curtly. I thought it was an obvious thing that didn’t need to be said. After that we leave the town with a crowd of people greeting us. We get in the buggy, with its loud engine, and head home. Something about that engine noise made me feel comfortable.

\- Phew, what a day, huh. This old body of mine can’t handle it. But remember, brats! Tomorrow is the real beginning! It’s not gonna be easy handling the work for me and the town. If you take it lightly and mess up, you’ll be eating my fist for dinner!- Each of us told him we understood. I'm a lot more tired that I thought. Not so much physically but emotionally drained. Not surprising after having to meet with so many “adults” and talk with them.

But I guess it hasn’t been so bad.

\- Hey, Volff - Bepo suddenly says.

\- What is it, Bepo?

\- Do you really have no desire to live in town, like the residential officer said? Everyone seems to like you, and it would be easier to get supplies, I don’t see any negative to it.

\- I told you, I like things the way they are now. If I lived in town and there was an explosion from one of my experiments, what would happen? Plus… no, never mind. Everyone is better off if I’m not in town.- His last mumbling sounded almost sad, and we all know it is something he doesn’t want to say out loud, so we stop pressing further. Just like I have, and just like Bepo and the others have, Volff surely has his own past that only he is fighting. Trying to pry into it was a mistake.

\- An-nyway!- Penguin’s voice pipes up from the backseat. - I’m glad you helped us! I was scared at first but thanks to you, I learned there are adults I can trust.

\- Same here -Shachi chimes in. - I had forgotten about it since started to live with all of you, but I always had a fear that someday I would be dragged back by my aunt and uncle at some point. But with your help I don’t have to worry anymore! Thank you! - Upon hearing that, Volff turns red and his mouth seems to struggle with how to respond.

\- It’s just give and take - Was all he muttered.

Well all got a lot busier after that. In the mornings we would all get on the electric bicycles that Volff had made for us (which he had tried to name Super Comets but we all shot down the idea), ride into town, do our work, and return home. Then we would cook, do laundry, fieldwork, or help with Volff’s inventing, depending on the day. This was a lot to take on to begin with, but each of us also tried to find time to do our own studies and training.

Shachi and Penguin had gotten much better wielding swords and pistols, and Bepo began practicing kempo on top of his navigation studies. I didn’t know if it had to do with him being a Mink, but he got really good at it really fast. I had him try out a swirling kick on me, and he almost sent me flying with it. I was surprised, to say the least.

No matter how busy the days were, we always had breakfast and dinner together, the five of us. It was hard to describe but, even though we spent most of the time separated doing our own thing, we felt connected just by eating together.

Working outside of the house was more interesting than I thought it would be. The clinic that I worked as was so small there was only one doctor and one nurse, but they had a lot to teach me. They told me the stories of the patients that had seen up until now, the difficulties of healing the worst illnesses, stories about fainting in the middle of surgery; they taught me about how other countries do medicine, and I learned about certain illnesses for the first time, as well as how to perform surgeries. It was all exciting.

Although I was not very good with interacting with patients, the doctor gave my knowledge and abilities high praise, and after a short while, entrusted me with minor surgeries. They were fun. It wasn’t so much that I enjoyed cutting into people, but to be able to fix hurting people back to health was something that made me happy.

\- Law, you’ll make a great doctor someday - The head doctor tells me one day, with a smile on his face.

_A great doctor_

I wonder what that actually means. Being a skilled surgeon? Knowing a lot about medicine? Or making a lot of money? I’m sure none of those are the incorrect answer, but I wasn’t able to pinpoint a certain one. I think I needed to take my time and figure out the answer for myself.

* * *

One night, while everyone carries-on together in one room, Penguin brings up a rumor that has been making it's rounds around town.

\- One of our customers was talking about it today but, apparently there’s a legend surrounding a treasure on Swallow Island.

\- A treasure?! Is there really a treasure on this island?- Bepo overtakes the conversation with much fervor.

\- Yes. About 60 years ago, a quite famous band of pirates came to this island. But they were suffering from a seafaring disease and ended up losing their lives here. It’s said that before the captain died, he hid his treasure somewhere on this island.

\- Hm, if it’s real, that would be something. But if it hasn’t been found in 60 years it probably doesn’t exist.

\- Law! How can you be so pessimistic! It has to exist. I’m sure there’s a treasure! And with it we can live a wonderfully luxurious life…

\- Calm down, Bepo. Don’t get too obsessed with some treasure. It’s only a rumor, and you’re already too deep in.

\- Speaking of rumors, I heard something interesting, too - Shachi speaks - There’s apparently a swallow that can fly at the bottom of the sea on this island.

\- What on earth is that? Wouldn’t it be swimming, not flying? - I ask.

\- This isn’t an old rumor, either. These past few years, fishermen have said they’ve seen a large animal like a swallow swimming in the seas around here. And every time it appears, a loud roar can be heard coming from the middle of the island.

_A swallow in the sea and a loud roar…?_

\- What’s wrong, Law? You look upset- Bepo's staring at me.

\- It’s just… I think I’ve heard that roar

\- What?! Are you serious?!

\- Yes, when I was on a break at work and alone in this house. I think it was about noon. I was practicing outside with my sword when I suddenly heard a loud, high-pitched squawk. It lasted about 30 seconds to a minute and it surprised me.

\- Wow! So that sea-flying swallow must really exist!- Penguin exclaims with a happy expression.

\- I wonder… It didn’t sound like a bird though.

\- I’m sure it wouldn’t, since it’s such a strange type of swallow!

\- Right, right! If the story of a swallow flying in the sea is true, then we can also believe the legend about the treasure!- Shachi seems to be overly excited.

After that, we discuss how we could catch the swallow and where the treasure could be hidden every night until we fall asleep. The sense of adventure has crept into us, and even I can’t help but be excited to join in. Of course I have no idea if it's just a rumor or there is some truth in there, but just getting excited over the prospect isn’t a bad thing, I think.

* * *

\- Oh it’s you guys - I say as I spy Bepo and the others at the town's entrance on my way home from work.

\- Hello Law!- Shachi waves me over.

\- What are you doing here?

\- Nothing, we just thought that since today we all ended work around the same time, we’d wait for you!

\- I see. In that case, how about we have a race back home? Last place has to clean the toilet and make breakfast for a week.

\- Okay!

I pedal as fast as I can on the bike, the wind hits me hard and it is almost cold. But focusing on the race gets my blood pumping and warms me back up to the point I no can longer notice. The road home normally takes an hour but I manage to make it in half that time.

\- Yes, first place!- I put up my fist in victory without thinking. I look behind me to see Shachi, Penguin, and Bepo in that order. They reached the goal that way, with Bepo being in last place.

\- Hah hah! Just having strong legs doesn’t make you the best at peddling, Bepo. Man, you really are clumsy. You were so wobbly I thought for sure you were going to crash. It was scary just watching you.

\- Hm, you’re right. I wonder why I can’t ride a bike to save my life… I’ll just leave and figure my life out then

\- Don’t get so upset. You really need to learn not to get so glum so fast! - We try our best to cheer Bepo up and go into the house. Volff should be home at this hour, as it's almost time for dinner.

\- Hey, Junk-ya! We’re back!- I call out, but receive no answer. I guess he isn’t home yet. Strange. The old man may be rough around the edges, but he is one to stick to his own schedules. Maybe he got too caught up working on an invention?

\- What should we do? I guess we should just make dinner anyway?

\- Yes, I bought some good meat today! Wait, Law, what is that?

\- Hm?- I look in the direction Penguin is pointing. Outside of the window, black smoke billows from the field.

_I have a bad feeling about this._

\- Guys, let’s go! - We go out the back door and run to the field. Something resembling an airplane is on fire, spewing smoke, and…

I spot Volff, covered in blood.

\- Old man!- I quickly run to his side and check his vitals. He's unconscious and has lost a lot of blood. His breathing's shallow and his pulse almost non-existent.

_This is bad._

If humans lose more than 30% of their blood supply, they could die. And just from looking at Volff, I wager he has lost about that much. I don’t have a moment to spare.

\- I’ll carry him. Bepo! Go boil some hot water. Penguin, find a place where I can lay the old man down! Shachi, go fetch my surgery tools.

\- Right!

\- Law, here’s your tools. I’ve already sterilized them.

While I carried Volff into the living room, Penguin had prepared a place for me to perform the surgery. I lay the old man down, and grab my tools from Shachi.

\- How bad is he…? -Bepo asks, face full of concern. I want to tell him it isn’t too bad, but I can’t.

It **is** bad.

I can only think he had been trying to ride that airplane out in the field. The wound on his head isn’t terrible but the blood loss was too much and… he has horrible injuries on his insides. Some of his organs have been destroyed from the impact, and others arre punctured with fragments from the machine. To put it bluntly, I don’t think I'll be able to save him.

\- Ugh…- The old man makes a small noise as he breathes. - is that… you, Law?

\- Don’t talk. Stay still.

\- Am I… injured? I was… testing out a hang glider for you all to… play with. A gust of wind caught me. Is that really… what’s going to end the genius inventor?

\- I said be quiet! You can tell me all about it later.

\- Law, what should we do?! Should we go into town and get the doctor?

\- No, Penguin, that will take two hours at least. There’s no time.

\- So, what…?

\- I can handle this.

\- Law…

\- I’ll fix him- I exclaim, as forcefully as I can. I examine the old man to see the extent of his wounds. Shit, he's losing so much blood, it is difficult to see just what needs the most attention.

\- Shachi, Penguin! He needs a transfusion, so I need your blood!

\- Right!

\- Got it.

I prepare for the transfusion, and give some of their blood to Volff. But this hasn’t been enough to get him out of the danger zone. I have to sew up his wounds quickly and make sure he doesn’t die of shock. But I can’t just play heads or tails of where he's wounded with my eyes alone. If I don’t know precisely where to perform surgery, I won’t do it fast enough. My heart skips a beat, then beats faster.

It is hard to breathe. My hands and legs are shaking.

When Penguin and Shachi had been injured, it hadn’t been this mortal of a wound and the surgery hadn’t been that difficult. But this is gravely different. I will need a great deal of skill to pull this off. Life or death is on my hands. Just thinking about it makes me dizzy and unsteady.

What should I do?

_Think._

My breathing is erratic and I'm sweating heavily. My thoughts are running rampant and I can’t focus. Shit, if I don’t get it together Volff will… he will die. Just then I feel a grip on my left hand. When I looked over I see Penguin, Shachi and Bepo crying with their hands placed on my own.

\- We’re sorry, Law, for not being able to do anything right now. All we can do is leave it up to you. But we know you can do it! You already saved Penguin and me! I’m sorry for saying something so useless but please Law! Save the old man! - Hearing Shachi’s words got me out of my own head. I can feel everyone’s will flowing through their hands into mine. They want me to save Volff.

Of course. That’s what I should have been doing from the start. I don’t have any other choice. There’s no point in thinking about what happens if I fail. What I need to do is focus on operating on the old man. My body stops shaking.

\- I’m fine now, you can let go. Just watch and believe in me.- I feel the three of them let go of my hand. Then I take a deep breath.

\- _ROOM_ \- I unleash my ability. It spreas out in a circle, enveloping the room.

\- Whoa what’s this?!

\- This is just like when we first met you!

\- Right! I saw this when you saved me!

Their surprised voices fill my ears. But the explanation will have to wait.

\- Law… what is this… power?

\- Junk-ya, be quiet! I’ll… I will save you.- After giving the old man anaesthesia, I focused inside my ROOM.

\- _Scan!_ \- I can see everything. Every injury his organs have, almost as if I were holding them in my hands. His intestines are shredded. Stomach torn. There are metal shards in his liver. I see it all.

\- _Takt!_ -As I yell it, the five scalpels placed on the table next to me begin to float in the air. I hold another in my hand. - Let’s do this…

With the six scalpels, I begin the surgery on Volff. The tools would move as I will them to. I can move everything at will in this ROOM: the needle and thread, the forceps, and the retractor. I cut into his liver, while simultaneously sewing up his stomach, staunching the blood from a wound in his leg, taking bone shards out of his lungs, wiping the blood flowing from his kidneys, checking on the transfusion, and trying to put his organs back together. It is going well so far. The bleeding has mostly stopped, and he’s breathing normally now. I can do this.

But just as I think that…

\- Argh!- A sharp pain shots through my head. Not a normal pain, either. It feels like being hammered on the inside of my skull. Maybe this is what happens when you try to use all of this power at once.

_Shit._

I am the verge of passing out. I feel faint… Scalpel still in hand I fall to my knees.

\- Law!

\- I’m… fine. Don’t worry about me.- That’s right. They have nothing to worry about. The ROOM will not disappear. The Takt ability can’t be interrupted. In Volff’s own philosophy of give and take, I have no reason to be doing this with no takeaway. But that doesn’t matter. I only act based on the feeling within my chest.

The patient dying in front of me is the old man who has been looking after me. I have to heal him with every skill I have. That is what keeps me going as a doctor! I don’t need anything in return. The thing urging me on is knowing that I don’t want Volff to die. I hope in my faltering mind. I know nothing about a god, but I hoped if one exists, he would at least help me out now. I wouldn’t forgive him if he let someone I cared about die!

\- You’re not dying today, Junk-ya!

His wounds are mostly sewn up. The only thing left is to close up his abdomen. I feebly grip the needle and thread and sew him back up. The bleeding has now completely stopped.

Surgery complete.

\- Ugh…- Suddenly I lose the strength in my legs and fall over. But the others catch me.

\- Law!-

\- I’m okay. The surgery is finished and I just lost balance is all.

\- The old man will be alright?

\- I don’t know. The operation went perfectly but he’s lost so much blood. We can only hope he has a will to live.

The four of us bring chairs and sit by the old man’s side. This is no time to rest. Though, I have no idea whether he will take a turn for the worse again. We watched him. Bepo, Shachi, Penguin, and I. I triy not to show how exhausted I am as I keep an eye on Volff. None of us says anything.

_I have some decent subordinates._

Three, four, five hours pass. It had become the time when we would normally be asleep, but no one let on they were tired.

\- Law, don’t you think you should get some sleep? We’ll keep an eye on him and wake you if something happens - Bepo said.

\- Don’t be stupid. As your leader do you really think I can just sleep and leave it up to my subordinates?- No one else said anything. But I could tell that somehow, we were all thinking the same thing.

Twelve hours passed since the surgery. Light was coming in the window, and we could hear the sounds of birds. It was morning. The light streaming through the curtain fell on Volff’s face. As if in response…

\- Oh… is it morning…?- The old man opened his eyes.

We all looked at each other.

“He’s alive?” “Did he talk?” “Is he okay?” We whispered in tired voices.

\- Whoa!!- All four of us yelled at the same time. I realized even I was yelling at the top of my lungs.

\- Yes!! Law, you’re amazing! The old man’s come back to us!- Penguin exclaimed with delight.

\- Damn, I thought I was in heaven but then I saw you brats. I guess I’m still alive.

\- Hmph. As stubborn as always, huh. I was about to prepare your funeral.

\- I guess I have you to thank, huh, Law?

\- It wasn’t just me. The others helped. If any of them weren’t here, I wouldn’t have been able to do what I did.

\- That so? - Volff passed out again after talking. Not surprising considering how weak he was at the moment. Just to be safe I checked his pulse and his stitches to make sure there were no issues. I couldn’t find any.

_I saved someone’s life._

A feeling I had never experienced before overcame me.

When Volff woke up, Penguin had gone immediately into town to call the doctor from the clinic. The doctor brought with him a machine to examine the old man.

\- There’s no internal bleeding and his pulse seems fine. We just have to watch for any complications. Law, was this all you?

\- Yea.

\- You did a perfect operation. I already knew this but, you have a crazy set of skills.

\- Oh...thanks - _How embarrassing_. I was still not used to people praising me.

The doctor gave two months until Volff made a full recovery. If that was the case I would have to stay in the house the entire time, but there was no way I could do that. The doctor said I could take time off from work, but after a week of making sure Volff was all right, I went back to helping at the clinic. However, having no one stay at the house was a bad idea, so we arranged our schedules so that at least one of us was always watching over Volff.

\- I told you, I’m already fine! Don’t worry about me and go back to work- Just as expected, Volff gave us shit but we ignored it. If he went into shock while no one was around it would be no laughing matter. We spent the days nursing the old man back to health.

* * *

\- Oh if it isn’t one of Volff’s kids.

\- What do you want, Tattoo-ya? - The man running the tattoo shop called out to me one day while I was wandering around the town.

\- I heard about what happened to Volff. He got pretty messed up. How’s he doing?

\- There’s no issues so far. He can’t stand on his own yet but he has a healthy appetite at least.

\- Is that right? Good. According to the doctor at the clinic, you fixed him up. That’s amazing.

\- Not really. I only did it because there was no time to carry him into town.

\- Hah hah! Don’t be so humble.- In the middle of our conversation I had a sudden idea.

\- Hey Tattoo-ya 

\- What’s up?

\- Can you make me a tattoo?

\- Fine with me, but do you think you need to ask Volff?

\- No, I’m sure he won’t mind. - The truth was I had always wanted one. I thought it was cool carving something into yourself like that.

\- Okay then! I’ll give you one crazy tattoo.- I went into the black and white shop and sat in a rather expensive-looking chair.

\- What would you like? Also you should tell me where you want it.- I looked at his designs: some colorful flowers, some cool-looking swords and guns. But I couldn’t choose any of them. Instead…

\- Can you put DEATH on the fingers of both of my hands?- I said with little hesitation.

\- DEATH?! Is that really what you want? What’s a doctor going to do with tattoos that say DEATH?

\- You got it backwards. I’m doing it because I’m a doctor.

\- Hmm, I don’t get it but all right.- The tattoo artist seemed gleeful as he put the needle to my skin and colored it. It was a sharp pain but nothing I couldn’t handle. D-E-A-T-H. One by one the letters appeared on my skin.

\- Finished! What do you think?

\- I like it. Thanks.

\- Good. Give my best to Volff, by the way!

After leaving the shop I kept staring at my hands. “Death”. There wasn’t a particularly deep reasoning I chose it. I only knew that as a doctor, death would always be by my side. I would have to always remember that I would be close to death in order to save people’s lives… to save the lives of the people important to me. Well, it wasn’t a bad design. When I returned to the house, I showed off my tattoos to the others. “Cool!” “Wow!” “That’s so awesome!” They seemed to love it.

\- Did it hurt?- Shachi asked.

\- Yea, it hurt a lot. You wouldn’t be able to handle it.- We talked about the tattoos for a bit but I decided not to try to explain them. Afterwards, when I brought the old man some dinner, I contemplated telling him about the tattoos, but I thought he would get mad, so I said nothing. I didn’t want him to lose his energy chewing me out when he was almost completely healed.

That night, I found it difficult to fall asleep, so I laid on the living room sofa and read a book. Suddenly Volff appeared in front of me.

\- Hey old man, you sure you can be up and about like that? It’s only been a month since your surgery.

\- Just who do you think I am? I trained this body to perfection. One month is all I need.

\- That so? Then good for you - In reality, I felt quite proud of myself to have succeeded in saving him.

\- By the way, Law, we need to talk.

\- What about?- I had a terrible feeling about it. - What is it, old man? Did you notice the tattoos?

\- Tattoos? Oh that mess on your fingers. I don’t care about that. Lately you’ve been talking a lot less gruff… but that’s not important. What you do with your body is your own business. It’s not any of mine.

\- Is that so…?

\- Enough about that, sit here.- Volff had a solemn expression as he pulled up a chair. I sat in it, separated by the old man by a table. -I won’t dance around the subject, Law. What is that power you used on me during the surgery? It was the _Ope-Ope_ Fruit, wasn’t it?

\- Wha-- why do you know about it?- I had never brought up the subject of the fruit before. And I made sure absolutely no one was around me when I decided to practice using it.

\- Hmph, you don’t think an old man knows things? When I was younger I traveled the seas and learned a lot of things, for better or worse. I was obsessed for a bit with Devil Fruits and researched them pretty obsessively.

\- Really?- I knew the old man was nothing to be trifled with but I had no idea he had sailed the world.

\- What do you know about this fruit’s true power?

\- True power? - What could he mean? The power to heal any illness with a miracle operation was all I knew about it.

\- That reaction tells me you have no idea.

\- So then tell me.

\- The _Ope-Ope_ Fruit is considered the ultimate Devil Fruit. And it’s not just because of its medical abilities. Someone who can master the fruit will have the power to grant eternal life with the ‘Immortality Operation’.

\- “Immortality Operation’? Never heard of it.

\- It sounds like the stuff of dreams but, there’s also a major risk involved. The person who performs the operation will lose his life. They will exchange their own life for the miracle.

\- An operation where the surgeon loses his life…

\- Anyone who wishes for that fruit wishes for eternal life. And wants to use whoever has eaten it to their advantage. So if you’ve really eaten that fruit, don’t trust anyone from now on. There will always be someone who will want you to perform the ‘Immortality Operation’. That’s how much people will be drawn to your fruit.- As I listened to Volff speak, I remembered Doflamingo’s words when Cora saved my life. “If you’ve eaten the fruit, I’ll have to train you to give up your life for me!” He had wanted me to use the Immortality Operation on him. He wanted to use my life in exchange for him to have eternal life. That’s why Cora…

\- Someone I care about said the same thing, once.

\- Hm?

\- He said if I ate the fruit, pirates, the marines, the government would all be after me. That I had to be prepared to live with it. I didn’t know what he meant at the time.

\- From here on you will have to be extra careful in just your daily life. People lose their minds for that fruit. The greed of people who want eternal life will always be your enemy.

\- I know.- It hurt to think about. Learning about the reason Doflamingo wanted the _Ope-Ope_ Fruit wouldn’t being Cora back to life. If only I didn’t have this power…

\- Don’t look so glum.- I felt Volff put his hand over mine on the table. - I’m not saying anything bad about the fruit itself. I read a long time ago that the fruit can be used to save the lives of many. How it can heal people with illnesses thought impossible to heal, save lives thought impossible to save. You have an amazing power, just based on what I understand.

\- But I’m also going to cause a lot of grief with it…

\- Hmph! So what?! You have the ability to heal someone who would otherwise die. Just look how you brought me back from the brink of death! That’s not an evil power. Got it, Law? As a doctor, there’s no way you can refuse to use this power. The only issue is your will. If a greedy person had eaten the fruit, there would have been a much worse result. But someone with the desire to help people eating the fruit is a whole different story. That’s true of any power, though. It can be good or bad depending on the person who wields it. And from what I know about you, Trafalgar Law, I believe you are the type of person to use it for good.- Volff looked directly into my eyes. Like he was daring me to do something. But I replied, trying not to cry.

\- Of course I will. I don’t care about any immortality operation. I will be the greatest doctor. And for that purpose will I use this power.- I finished talking. Volff seemed satisfied with what I said.

\- Are we done? I’m going back to my room, I’m tired.- I thought it best to end the conversation at this moment. But Volff seemed like he wasn’t finished and stopped me from leaving.

\- Wait, wait! That wasn’t all I wanted to talk about.

\- Well? What else is there?- Volff had trouble continuing. He seemed uncomfortable, slowly shaking his head. Then suddenly he glared at me.

\- Isn’t there anything you want?

\- What are you talking about?

\- I don’t mean a physical thing. Is there some place you want to see or some where you want to go? Any wish I’m able to grant.

\- What’s with you, all of a sudden, Junk-ya? I don’t really have a wish. I like my life how it is now, and there isn’t really anything I want at the moment. Oh right, the fishmonger said tomorrow he’s getting in a rare catch, you could buy it and cook it up for us.

\- I don’t mean something like that! -Volff stared at the table with a solemn expression. - Law, I owe you my life. It’s give and take, remember? But I can’t think of anything equivalent to ‘life’. So if there’s anything you want, anything at all, I want you to have it. Even if you asked me to be your slave for the rest of my life…

\- What are you on about, old man! - It was my turn to get angry. - I didn’t save your life because I wanted something in return! And not just me. Bepo, Shachi, and Penguin, too! Whatever creed you live your life by is your own business. Just know that the three of them cried they were so happy your life was saved. That’s all that matters! That’s all I need. I won’t allow you to make a mockery of their tears!- Volff furrowed his brows and stayed quiet. Silence permeated the room for quite a bit.

\- You’re right.- Volff was the first to speak up again. - Forget everything I said earlier. I was out of line. I’m sorry.

\- As long as you understand.

\- You… no, the lot of you can really help others without asking anything in return, huh.

\- The three of them couldn’t be bothered thinking about something annoying like that. But they are all thankful for you taking them in. So it’s no surprise they would give their everything to try to help you.

\- And you, too?

\- I-- my pride as a doctor means I can’t just let someone die on my watch. I just… do what I want.

\- Heh heh heh, well, whatever. You saved my life. I have to show you my thanks somehow.

\- I told you I don’t need anything.

\- Let me finish! At any rate, I know giving you money or goods would be an insult. Which means I need some other way to repay you.

\- You’re a pain in the ass. Out with it already!

\- I’ll be your friend.

\- Huh?? -The response was so unexpected my mind went blank.

 _Wait, wait. Did the old man just say “friend”? No, I’m very tired. I’m sure I misheard him_.

\- Sorry Junk-ya I’m so sleepy I didn’t seem to catch that. Say it again.

\- How many times you want me to say it! The Genius Inventor Volff! Said he wants to be your friend! You should be ecstatic!

_What the hell?_

**_What… the hell._ **

\- Hahahaha!!

\- What’s so funny?

\- Nothing, Junk-ya. Alright, I accept your repayment. From today on we are friends.

\- Hmph.- Volff crossed his arms, face as red as a boiled octopus. I could laugh. I could really laugh.

_Friends._

What a simple word. It wasn’t something that should be taken that seriously. But having lived together with Volff and learning about him as a person, I knew what it really meant. Friendship existed outside the realm of give and take. There was so loss or profit. Friendship existed solely based on the other person being important to you. So for Volff to even say a word like that, having lived his life with “give and take”, I knew it had required a lot of courage on his part. And I knew that I couldn’t deny him how much it must have took to say it.

\- Okay then, Junk-ya. Hurry up and make me dinner.

\- Now you treat me like I’m beneath you! - We both looked at each other and laughed. Bepo and the others must have been woken up by it since I heard them coming down the stairs.

\- Junk-ya

\- What?

\- They’re not ‘strangers’ either, right?

\- Of course not.

\- Then I’m going to tell them about the _Ope-Ope_ Fruit.- Not strangers. Not family. We were the most vague of relationships: friends. But to me it felt pretty good. I wonder if daily life will continue like this.

And so it did, with three years passing.


	4. Chapter 3

_S ounds of children crying._

_People screaming._

_A burning town._

_The people I called father and mother, my younger sister Lami._

_My family._

_Can’t save anyone, can’t protect anything._

_Everything disappearing into the flames._

_I run into the center of town. Trying to save anyone; I just want to save even one person._

_But my wish isn’t granted._

_Only a world turning to ash in front of me. Blackened and burned bodies all around me at my feet._

That’s the dream I had. I woke up covered in sweat, my pajamas drenched. My breathing became erratic; for a second I couldn’t tell if this was real life or the horrible dream would continue.

\- Law...? -Bepo called out worryingly from my side.

\- Sorry, did I wake you up?

\- It’s fine. I’ll get you something to drink.

\- Thanks.

These past few days I’ve barely slept. I have trouble falling asleep, and even when I do, nightmares jerk me awake. It’s been going on for some time. I know the reason. It’s because of what I read in the newspaper five days ago: a whole-page article on Dressrosa.

_"A NEW KING IS CROWNED IN DRESSROSA! AND HIS NAME IS DOFLAMINGO!"_

I got dizzy just from the headline. It was like everything converged in one moment. Doflamingo had had his eyes on this since I was in the Family. The article continued:

_“Dressrosa is a country known as a symbol of peace, but a few days ago the king went mad and massacred his people. The pirate Doflamingo put a stop to him and declared himself the new king, and peace has been restored.”_

He planned it all. I didn’t have proof of that, but I knew it deep down to be true. Even the king going berserk must have been the result of Doflamingo doing something from the shadows. I realized something else, as well. Cora brought these words to me so that I could stop him. He was telling me with the article to believe that the country of Dressrosa could be saved. Though I didn’t feel like it was possible. If only the marine I ran into hadn’t been one of Doflamingo’s men. If only I had learned what Cora was planning earlier.

No, if only I hadn’t even met him.

A million _if only_ s ran through my head, even though I knew that Cora would be upset with me thinking like this.

Still.

Even still.

_I couldn’t just sit around lamenting my lack of power._

It had been three years since Cora died and I was taken in by the old man, Volff. I had grown close to 1,90 m and more buff. My knowledge of medicine had grown as well, and I helped heal many people at the town clinic. I was working out daily, getting ready for the fight. And I could even use more of the powers of the _Ope-Ope_ Fruit.

Despite all that, I was still a child. Just an immature kid who had no idea what to do despite knowing Cora’s true intentions. This life here had especially become something valuable that I needed to protect. Bepo, Penguin, Shachi, and the old man were all my friends. I wanted to believe I could continue living here happily with them. But my heart was screaming that it knew that was impossible.

If I turned a blind eye to Cora, my savior’s, unfinished business, I would never really be able to lead a happy life. I remember the words he said to Doflamingo at his very end.

_‘Leave him be! He is free!’_

Cora wished that for me, the small child he freed from several restraints. But those words still didn’t resonate with me. Just being free, enjoying life with my friends would be an insult to him. Even if he wished only that for me, I have an obligation towards him. I have a responsibility to continue protecting what he was trying to protect.

_But what should I do? Just how am I supposed to enact my revenge towards Doflamingo? How can I repay Cora’s love? How can I learn what it really means to be free?_

\- Law, I brought you some hot tea. It’s made with tea from the old man’s garden. He said it helps calm nerves.

\- Thank you, Bepo.

\- No problem. You’ve been having nightmares a lot lately.

\- I know. I must be worrying Penguin and Shachi too.

\- You don’t want to talk about it?- Bepo asked with an earnest look on his face.

\- No, right now I can’t get my own thoughts together, sorry.

\- It’s fine. But I’m here if you ever want to talk about it.

\- Of course.- We both tucked ourselves back into our respective beds, and tried to go back to sleep.

\- Hey Bepo?

\- Hm?

\- Is there anything you really want to do?

\- Um, oh! I want to go fishing with everyone on our next day off! Then cook and eat the fish we catch!

\- Not that. I mean, I want to do that, too, but… that’s not what I meant. More like… is there something you really want to try, is what I mean.

\- Um…- Bepo’s hand went to his chin as he thought. He was thinking hard now that he knew what I was asking.

\- I definitely want to see my brother - he said after a long silence. - It’s fun living here with everyone and all but sometimes I think of him. I wonder if he’s doing okay or if something happened to him. That’s why I’ve continued studying navigation since I got here. I’m terrible at it, but I can finally draw maps. So I definitely want to set out to find my brother some day, I think.

_‘Someday.’_

\- Sorry for asking something like that. Let’s sleep.

\- All right, good night!

My head was fuzzy. I too wanted to “someday” go to Dressrosa. I had no idea what I needed to do there, but I knew that I had to at least get there. But just using the word “someday” made it seem like that day would never come. There was no point in obsessing over it. I had to sleep. It’s fine to think about the future, but there’s a present that I have here. A world I need to protect. And I can never forget that, I thought.

The next morning, I woke up in a better mood. Maybe it was the tea Bepo gave me, but I didn’t have another nightmare and was able to sleep through the night. Compared to yesterday, my head felt a little clearer, and I felt rejuvenated. I’d have no problem going to work.

\- Now, you’re looking a lot better today- Junk-ya said through a laugh.

\- So what, old man? Have I been looking that bad lately?

\- Idiot, of course you have. You’ve had nothing but a sour face.

\- Oh. Sorry if I made you worry.

\- Pshaw! That doesn’t sound like you. I guess you’re still not you’re old self, huh.

\- I’m fine. I’m just mulling over something. I don’t plan on keeping a sour face any more.

\- Hmph, well all right then. It’s just that when you’re not feeling well the rest of the lot are out of it too.- Volff slapped my shoulder and headed to the dinner table.

Junk-ya would never dig deeper in times like these. ‘What are you worrying about?’ ‘Tell me what’s bothering you.’ All things he would never say. But I knew him well and thought of it as his own way of being kind. I had to have learned something about him after three years of living with him. The old man treats me like an equal. That’s exactly why he doesn’t tread into some father/son type territory. He engages with me as an adult, and keeps an appropriate distance.

That distance was unmistakably comfortable.

Even if I did ask Volff for help with a desperate look on my face, he would not hesitate to listen whole-heartedly and do something for me. Not just me, but Shachi, Penguin, and Bepo too. That’s the kind of person he is. A man who blushes easily so he doesn’t express it in words, but someone who respects us, stays with us, and laughs along with us.

After some light conversation with Volff at the dinner table, the other three came downstairs. For three years, we almost never missed a breakfast meal together.

We ate hastily, putting sweet and spicy grilled fish on white rice. It was delicious. We all took turns cooking, but Penguin and Shachi had a real knack for it, and I don’t know if it was because they simply enjoyed cooking, but they kept getting better. I was grateful, since I never improved no matter how much time passed.

\- How’s the fish, Law?

\- It’s great. I’m impressed.

\- Hell yea!- Shachi looked really pleased. Actually we all looked happy, myself included. This place is definitely irreplaceable to me, I realized once again.

Snow had been falling steadily until the day before when it finally stopped and we could see clear skies. We got on our bicycles and headed to town, while Volff saw us off. I went down a road between the grocer and the liquor store, past the temple in the middle of town, to the clinic I called my workplace. The start of another day. I politely said good morning to the doctor and changed into a white gown. Pleasure Town was a peaceful place, but there was only one clinic, and it snowed three-fourths of the year, so the people were sick often.

My specialty was originally surgery, but in these three years the doctor allowed me to gain experience in various things, and I was now able to treat different afflictions. Colds were a given, but I also gained the confidence to treat life-threatening illnesses of the lungs or heart. It wasn’t a bad time, being able to grow and improve as a doctor.

\- Thanks as always, Law!- said an old fishmonger who came to the clinic for pain in his left wrist. He left while waving his hand.

_What if…_

If Amber Lead disease hadn’t existed, I would probably still be working with my parents and Lami in our own hospital. A vivid scene of it played in my head. Yes, that would probably have been a happy world. But it’s also a world that will never return. I can’t keep looking backwards; I have to move forward. Together with the happiness of being with friends, no matter how much I waver.

That night, once all the patients were attended to, the doctor told me I could go home. I took off my coat, said my goodbyes, and left. Once I was outside, a big sigh escaped.

I like my work and I enjoy doing it, but tending to people all day long is tiring. I walked around town looking for something to eat that would get my energy back, and I found some salted fish that was on sale so I bought it. In my head popped the pleasantly surprised faces of Bepo and the old man, and the expressions I imagined soon became my own.

Just then I realized the atmosphere had changed.

A little bit away, several people seemed to be running away from something. I could hear them shouting and yelling. This was more than just a fight or something. I ran towards the source of the trouble.

\- Pirates!- someone screamed. As I made my way through the sea of people, I spotted about thirty men I had never seen before causing a ruckus.

\- Hurry up and bring booze and grub!

\- If you got a problem, come and fight. We ain’t losing! - I saw one of them was holding a flag with a picture of a skull biting a coin. Without a doubt, proof they were pirates.

_What a rough-looking bunch._

They were rampaging through town, making impossible demands of the townspeople, and fighting with them. I recognized one of the people they hit. When I saw it happen, I almost went after them without thinking. I just couldn’t stand there while these usually cheerful people were being brutalized, and I almost lost my cool. Then I heard, “Law!” and felt a tug on my sleeve, which brought me back to my senses. Looking behind me, I saw Penguin, Bepo, and Shachi.

\- They’re pirates, right?- Bepo asked in a soft voice,

\- No doubt about it, with them waving a flag like that.

\- What should we do? Think we can stop them before things get out of hand?- Shachi was always ready to jump into action.

\- No, let’s wait for now. There’s thirty of ‘em, mostly small fries but… those two in the back are different. I can tell they’re strong.

Those two would definitely give us the most trouble. One was dressed sumo-style and was easily over two meters tall. His belt was cinched over dark skin, and his hair was in a topknot. Underneath all the fat was the unmistakable figure of muscle, and it was easy to see he had a ridiculous amount of strength.

The other man was more troubling. He wore a round pirate hat with long black hair to his shoulders, that almost gave him a soft look, if it weren’t for the madness in his eyes. He seemed completely unfazed by his subordinates wreaking havoc as he sat and relaxed in a chair. He must be the captain. And for pirates, the captain means the strongest.

\- Hey Penguin, there’s a transponder snail in the shop you work at, right?

\- Yes?

\- Go and tell Junk-ya what’s happening.

\- Got it!- Penguin instantly ran off towards the restaurant.

_Now, what should the rest of us do?_

First, we need to find out what they’re here for. If they only happened to come across this town and wanted some gold and food, it would be best not to stir them up too much. While I was pondering, Ladd from the residence office ran into the fray.

\- Assholes! You won’t make a mess of Pleasure Town while I’m here!

\- Oh, we got a brave one over here. Huh? Well, if it isn’t old Ladd! Ha ha ha, it’s been awhile!

\- Artur Bacca… why are you back in this town?!

\- Oh, don’t look at me like that, Ladd. I just came to breathe in the air of my old hometown, is all. Well, I guess my men got a little out of control.

\- Do you really think I’d believe that? You really think I’d believe the words of the man that turned this town into a sea of fire twenty years ago?!

I didn’t understand what exactly Ladd and this Artur Bacca were referring to, but it seemed like it wasn’t the first time the pirate had been to this town. Whatever the case, this was bad. Ladd was a thick-headed man. At this rate he would try to take on all thirty pirates all on his own. Many of them were already closing in on him.

_I’m indebted to Ladd, too. I can’t just watch._

Just as I took a step forward, the man who hadn’t moved in his chair suddenly shot up.

\- Hold up, you lot. If you kill him, my so very important source of information will be lost. Let’s just talk things through civilly, geh pa pa!

\- Yes, captain! the crew said in trembling voices.- So he’s definitely the head of this pirate crew. I could feel the mood change as soon as he stood up from the chair.

\- Law - I heard Penguin whisper in my ear, back from his task. - I called Volff. He said he’s headed here right away.

\- There’s a possibility a fight will break out here. At least with Junk-ya here we might stand a chance.- Volff was, in reality, a very capable fighter. Even with how much stronger I’ve gotten over the past year, I couldn’t match up the old man even if it was a four-to-one fight. That was why it was assuring that Volff was on his way. However, it wasn’t as if the pirates had their sights set on starting a fight. We stayed quiet and continued listening to the conversation between Ladd and the captain.

\- Bacca, I’ll ask you one more time. Why are you here?- Ladd asked sonorously, refusing to step back.

\- Geh pa pa! Why, huh? I can see why someone in your position would want to know.- Bacca laughed loudly, seemingly completely unperturbed. - There’s two reasons we came to this island. One, we needed rest. We just set out to the Grand Line recently. Fully prepared, of course. But that place was beyond our preparations. We fought some other pirates at the entrance to the Grand Line, and we lost. Half my crew is gone and the rest are badly injured. So we’re here to heal our wounds.

\- I see… if that’s really the case, Bacca, if you need rest and you swear to leave the townspeople alone, we’ll give you a place to rest. That’s a decent exchange I think.

\- Well, unfortunately, that’s not all. Reason number two why we’re here… and this is much more important to us, by the way. Say, Ladd, have you heard the legend of the treasure of Swallow Island?- I gulped. That was the legend that Penguin had told us about some time before.

\- Never heard of it - Ladd replied, after a brief pause.

\- Geh pa pa! Ladd, you know you shouldn’t lie! You even looked away just now. That’s proof you’re hiding something.- As Bacca finished talking, he quickly closed the gap between them, grabbed Ladd by the collar and raised him in the air. - I thought it was bullshit before, too. How could it not be? No one would believe that a treasure like that exists on a poor little island like this. But on an island in the Grand Line we found it… the letter that Captain Ladoga left!

I had heard that name before. Several times when I was in the Doflamingo Family. He was a famed pirate known for reaching the New World in the latter half of the Grand Line. Not a tall tale and not a legend, but a real pirate’s name.

\- Captain Ladoga’s letter read, _"I’ll be dead soon. I didn’t fulfill my dream but I experienced the surprises of the New World. My treasure is hidden in that beautiful scenery of Swallow Island. Anyone lucky enough to find it"_ I thought it was a fake at first. But we had it appraised, and it’s without a doubt written by Captain Ladoga himself! So that’s why we’re here! To get a huge treasure and make our crew stronger, so we can take on the Grand Line again! - As Bacca went through his speech, he grasped Ladd tighter. Ladd was hanging in the air with a pained expression on his face.

_I should go over there._

Just as I had made the decision to, I heard, “Stop!!” The unmistakable sound of the old man’s voice cut through the air. Bacca released Ladd, who fell to his knees on the ground. But the situation was still dire. In fact, you could say it got worse.

\- What the hell is he doing?- The old man was always hot-blooded. I fully expected him to get attacked and killed. Yet to my disbelief, Bacca didn’t move. Gone was his savage-looking expression; now he looked as if he had seen a ghost as he stared at Volff.

\- You… can’t be. DAD?

\- Been awhile, Bacca.

Not believing what I was hearing, my body went stiff for several seconds. Bacca definitely just called Volff “dad”. And Volff hasn’t denied it.

\- Geh pa pa! How many years has it been? Ten? No, twenty I guess. I wouldn’t even have dreamt that you’d still be alive.

\- Hmph. I could say the same. I figured you kicked the bucket out at sea long ago.

\- Is that what you want to say to your long-lost son? What a terrible father!

\- I’ll repeat what I said to you twenty years ago: you’re no longer my son.- Volff’s eyes were cold as ice as he spoke.

\- You never change, huh. Always bitching about everything I do.

\- As a parent, it’s only natural for me to want to put my wayward son back on the right track.

\- Wayward? Me? Geh pa pa! I would never describe myself that way. I merely live how I need to in order to fulfill my own desires. Which means that you raised me just right!

\- I’m not here to bicker with you. I merely refuse to let you attack the town, steal money and food, and most likely kill everyone when you leave.

\- Heh! You’re always looking down on me, pops. Even when you were one of my crew! Yet you still couldn’t stop me!

\- That’s right. I’m a failure as a parent. I tried to persuade you, tried to knock it into you, but I failed to set my screw-up of a son straight. - Suddenly, I felt like yelling. What was going on? Volff had been that pirate’s crewmate? I looked to my side. Penguin, Shachi, and Bepo couldn’t hide their shock at what they were hearing, either.

\- That’s right! Nothing will squelch my desires! So, dad. You know what that means you have to do? You’ve lived on this island your whole life so you must have info about Captain Ladoga’s treasure. Spit it out. Do that and we’ll at least spare the people’s lives, out of respect for a former crewmate.

\- I never had that info to begin with. And even if I did, I wouldn’t be the one to tell you.

\- You trying to get a rise out of me?

\- I know you won’t keep a promise anyway. You’ve already tried to burn this town to the ground once. I have nothing to give a man like that!

\- What, you’re still on about that?

\- Twenty years ago, you tried to get to the Grand Line then, too. To do so you needed a ton of food and water, which takes money. And to get that money, you came to this town...your hometown... and you pillaged and destroyed! I disagreed with your actions and I left the crew to live on the outskirts of town. But that doesn’t mean my sins have been forgiven. I couldn’t stop my son from going down the wrong path. That means I have a responsibility to stop you now! - Volff’s voice echoed with a strength behind it. It was not the voice he used when he lectured us. His words were filled with anger and determination.

\- Dad… Does that mean you’re gonna get in my way?

\- That’s right, I won’t let you make a mess of this town again

\- Geh pa pa! That makes you an enemy, then. Doesn’t matter if you’re my parent or part of my crew, I’ll destroy anyone who stands in my way! -Bacca raised the gigantic maces in his hands high in the air. In response, Volff pulled out a pistol from his jacket.

\- Bepo, Penguin, Shachi! Let’s go!

\- Right!

We headed straight to where Volff and Bacca were standing. Before we got there, the other pirates from Bacca’s ship started closing in.

\- What d’ya think you’re doing?! they yelled.

\- Shut it.- I dodged a sword attack from one of them and landed a strike on the back of his neck, knocking him out. Penguin and the others used martial arts to take out more pirates and move forward. But these weren’t the ones we needed to go after. Our target was Bacca and the huge sumo man.

\- Take this! ‘Anything Goes Sheet Mail’ fire!- Volff used one of his inventions, and fired a shot at Bacca. It was from a laser gun that he had showed me once at home. If it hits dead on, it has the firepower capable of turning a brick wall to dust. But Bacca managed to completely evade it and repositioned behind Volff.

\- I know how you work, dad. The gun, your timing; I knew it was coming. You really thought an old geezer could stop me with one shot?!- He slammed Volff in the head. Volff fell to the ground and stopped moving.

_Don’t do it._

_Don’t do it…_ I tried desperately to hold myself back from throwing myself at Bacca. The old man isn’t the type of weakling to get taken out like that.

\- Law! Calm down. The old man’s just unconscious!- I heard Penguin yell from Volff’s side. I wanted to check on him myself, but now just wasn’t the time.

\- Bepo, Shachi! Finish off the rest of the small fries. I’m going after their boss!

\- Got it!

After hearing their reply, I placed myself firmly in front of Bacca. I could once again feel the immense aura coming from him. He has the strength to take out Volff in one hit; I can’t let my guard down. I decided the only way to take him on was a surprise attack. The two giant maces in his hands must have a hefty weight to them, but Bacca wielded them like they were nothing. I had to stay out of range of their attack.

\- Hmm? Looks like another weirdo came out of the woodwork. Who the hell are you?

\- A friend of the man you just knocked out - I said sharply, eyes locked to his.

\- Geh pa pa! A friend of dad, huh? I guess that makes you and me enemies, then!- Before he even finished speaking, I saw one of his mace’s coming down.

_He’s fast._

I did my best to evade the attack and picked up a brick at my feet, hurling it at the pirate.

\- You think that’ll do anything?!- Bacca flung it back with no effort. But that’s just what I was hoping. The brick was my chance to get close to him.

He thinks I’m empty-handed, and that’s his mistake. Hidden on my back is a lead pipe I found on the ground.

_I’m only just starting._

\- Eat this.- At a closer distance I take the pipe from my back and swing it at him. It connects. From these close quarters there’s no reason it wouldn’t. But the pipe just feels like it hit air.

\- What?!- _Impossible_. My attack should have whacked him squarely in his face. And yet, there was no impact. Just a light touch.

\- Thought you had me, huh boy? You were close, so close! 

The attack had left me wide open and Bacca slammed his mace into my stomach. The hit sent me flying backwards.

\- Law!!- Bepo screamed.

\- I’m… fine. No worries- I lied through my teeth. I was damaged so badly from the mace strike it left my knees shaking. But I refused to let the enemy see he had weakened me. I had to make it seem like that hit had done nothing to me.

\- Is that all you got? I think the boars in the forest are stronger.

\- You got a smart mouth for your age, brat.

\- Captain, you don’t need to waste your time with this boy. Let me, Coney Borcano, break his back for you! - Suddenly, the sumo guy who called himself Borcano was suddenly next to me.

\- Leave it alone, Borcano. I don’t like the looks of this brat. He’s gonna die by my hands. You and the others go deal with the townspeople. - I waited for his attack. After the last attack, I was positive I was faster than he was. So I waited until the very last moment before he struck, then countered with the pipe across his shoulder.

_Perfect timing. No way he can avoid this._

And yet, it doesn’t hit.

_What the hell? Why?_

His next attack comes. All I can do is keep evading. Although I haven’t taken a decisive hit, I’m still at a huge disadvantage. My attacks do nothing. And if I fail to evade again I won’t be able to stand the hit. For a second, my eyes meet his.

They were no doubt the eyes of an evil man, but they showed no hesitation. All I felt from them was his desire to kill me. He’s determined to end me here for the sake of his own desires. I thought briefly if that was the actual difference in our strength…?

I remember the nightmares I’ve been having the past few days. I think of Cora and Doflamingo and Dressrosa. I know there’s something I have to, need to do. And yet, I’m not determined enough to do so. In order to fulfill Cora’s desire I have to change that “someday” into “now”. Otherwise I’m hesitating, lost.

That hesitation is what’s making me inferior to the man standing before me. The overwhelming feeling of his resolve is dulling my own movements. If this keeps up, I’m in trouble. Just then, Bacca stopped moving.

\- You’re not too bad, huh, brat. I’ll eventually win, but this is taking too long. So… let’s try something different.- As he finished talking, Bacca let out an ugly laugh.

_I had a bad feeling._

\- Hey! All of you get inside!- he ordered his crew. At once, the pirates fled into shelter.

\- Shachi, Penguin, Bepo! Take the old man and run!

\- Too late! Corrosive Light! -From Bacca’s eyes shot a pale blue light. I managed to avoid it by rolling on the ground. Chills ran down my spine. He was no ordinary pirate...he had a Devil Fruit. I wasn’t sure how it was connected to my attacks missing, but at least I knew now that he wasn’t just human.

\- Are you all okay?!

\- We’re fine! We managed to get away - Bepo responded. I’d expect nothing less of my subordinates.

\- So this was the ace up your sleeve. Sorry but neither me nor my friends are going down that easily.- I was bluffing, trying to hide the unease I felt from not yet knowing what his power was.

\- Geh pa Geh pa pa pa!!

\- What’s so funny?

\- You surprised me is all. It’s not easy to dodge my Corrosive Light. Just take a good look around you.

Suddenly I felt a murderous presence behind me. A sword was aiming for me.

\- Gah…!- Somehow I managed to deflect it using the dull edge of the sword, and sent the sword and its user to the ground.

_Who? One of Bacca’s crew?_

As I pondered, I took a good look at the fallen man.

\- You? But why? - Lying there was the clinic doctor and I couldn’t hide my shock. The doctor was looking back at me with vacant eyes, still grasping the sword. No doubt, he wasn’t in his right mind.

\- What the hell did you do?!

\- Geh pa pa! I told you, boy, you should mind your surroundings. Should you really be worrying about him right now? - Once again, from a different direction came another attack. And not just one. Two, three people. No, more. I took a big jump back and tried to assess the situation from a place with less people.

\- Wha?!- I swallowed my words.

The entire town was closing in on me from all sides.

\- Shit.- I didn’t have the speed nor the power to deflect everyone’s attacks. In reality, I could easily defeat them all. But there was no way I could hurt the townspeople. I saw familiar faces....the old fishmonger, the lady from the restaurant, the man from the tattoo parlor. The were aiming to kill me with blank expressions on their faces.

\- Geh pa pa! What’s wrong, boy? Not so sure of yourself now?- Bacca laughed as if he could tell exactly how I was feeling.

_How dare you._

I still didn’t know what he did, but he was using the townspeople as weapons, and I was livid.

_...I should use my Ope-Ope powers._

If I did, then maybe I’d be able to find an opening to attack. I was just about to throw up a ROOM when...

\- Stop!- Shachi grabbed my shoulder from behind. He seemed to have known what I was about to do. - Let’s just make a run for it, Law. We have the buggy. Let’s retreat and think of a plan. Without knowing what his power is, everything we try to do will be pointless. - Listening to Shachi calmed me down, and I was able to think clearly again. Shachi was right. Without a plan or way to handle the situation, going in now would just be suicide.

\- You’re right - I replied in a small voice, and ran the opposite direction from Bacca at top speed.

\- Running away, brat?! Geh pa pa! I guess you don’t have what it takes after all!- Bacca’s provocation reaches my ears. But it doesn’t matter.

Not only Shachi, but also Bepo and Penguin are still in their right minds. Which means I don’t need to take this on alone. I have subordinates I can trust. So the only thing to do now is throw away pride and run away. Soon, the enemy’s voice could no longer be heard.

\- This way!- Penguin waved to Shachi and I. Bepo was already waiting in the buggy with Volff. After making sure Shachi and I were on board, he started the engine. Just like that, we left the enemy behind, and fled in the buggy.

I checked on Volff and he seemed to have a light concussion. He’d be awake soon. Looking behind me, I expected to see Bacca’s crew but instead I saw the townspeople brandishing weapons. Today we’re retreating, but we’ll be back to save them. The buggy was silent all the way to the house.

Back at the house, we all showered, mostly to calm our nerves, and changed out of our filthy clothes. Volff soon came to, and we all gathered in the dining room. First we explained to Volff what had happened while he was unconscious, but the room felt oppressive. There was a lot we had to discuss. But whether it was due to shock or not, no one attempted to ask anything.

\- I made a mess of things, didn’t I.- Volff was the first to start the conversation. His face looked grim, and while he knew he had to explain the situation, it seemed he was having trouble finding the words.

\- Junk-ya who are they? What’s your relationship with that Bacca?

\- Ah, that’s right. I guess I have to explain. - Bepo and the others stayed quiet and waited for Volff to speak. Everyone knew that what was coming was not a light story.

\- Bacca is my actual son- Volff said clearly, after raising his head.- He was always a firecracker from a young age. Stealing from the town and fighting with people, really a disgrace. He told me he was becoming a pirate about 25 years ago. At first, I was against it. But then I started to hope maybe if he went out to sea, he would change. If only he could see the world and experience more things, maybe he’d turn into a fine man… It didn’t take long before I realized that would never be the case. I went out to sea with him as a member of his crew. I thought he needed someone to look over him, and I also had a dream of seeing with my own eyes the rare inventions that I might fight on the sea.- Volff paused there to take a sip of tea. I of all people knew how hard it was to try to tell someone your dark past. So I didn’t rush him, and waited quietly for him to start his story again. - The truth is, the journey didn’t change Bacca for the better. Instead, he grew more and more twisted in the harsh world of pirates. He became a man who thought nothing of hurting others or stealing. Then he ate the _Dero-Dero Fruit_ and was doomed never to escape his savagery.

- _Dero-Dero Fruit?_ So then he really is a power user.

\- That he is. After he ate the fruit, he expanded his pirate crew and his bounty increased even more. He was finally strong enough to take on the Grand Line. And his insanity grew ever greater. Once before, he came to Swallow Island to attack the town and steal our goods. It was at that time that I left his crew. I became a hermit, and focused on my inventions. After listening to Volff’s story, I realized something.

\- You live on the edge of the island as a sort of punishment, don’t you? - Volff couldn’t answer me. But his silence was answer enough.

\- You told us the first time we went to Pleasure Town. How the town was almost wiped out. You meant Bacca’s attack, right?

\- Yes. I couldn’t do anything. I fought against him but in the end I lost. More people died than was necessary. I used all the money I had to try to repair the town, but the damage to the people was done. I don’t have the right to live with them, or gain their thanks.- Volff let out a big sigh. He looked the most defeated I had ever seen since meeting him.

I was disgusted. With the man who could attack the town with a smile on his face. The man who could make Junk-ya look so timid. And most of all disgusted with myself for being unable to encourage my friend on the verge of tears.

But even if I could do that, the situation wouldn’t change. That’s why…

\- Junk-ya

\- Hm?

\- I’m going to fight him- I told Volff with a hard look.

It wasn’t encouragement he needed. He needed me to push him. Both Volff and I needed to do something about it “now”. Even if it’s dangerous, even if we hesitate, we can’t keep postponing to “someday”, we need to move now. “Now” we have to be determined.

For the sake of the townspeople we are indebted to, we have to throw ourselves into the fight whether we think we will win or not. If we can’t even do that, the things we want to do will forever remain in “someday”.

They will forever remain unfulfilled. Just the determination to deal with what’s in front of us “now” will propel us forward. And I am positive this is the first step towards fulfilling Cora’s wish.

\- I don’t know what you’re thinking or what you want to do, but I’ve decided what I want to do. I want to go back into town with Shachi, Penguin, and Bepo, and take down Bacca.

\- Law…

\- What will you do? I won’t mind if you choose to stay here. But just know it’s now or never. This is your only chance to save the townspeople to clear your stained conscience. Or am I wrong, Junk-ya? - Ten, twenty seconds pass. Volff was quiet as he stared at the ground. Then he suddenly stood up and walked towards me. Reaching out his right hand, he palmed the top of my head.

\- Hmph! Don’t look down on me. I wasn’t gonna run away, no matter what you said. I just had a tiny little bit of hesitation is all. You’re right. The only person who can cleanse my sins is me. I’m gonna protect the town!

\- But didn’t Bacca destroy you last time?- Penguin quipped.

\- Uh…

\- He’s been a pirate the whole time, and now he’s probably even stronger, right?- Bepo added honestly.

\- Hm…

\- Just how do you think you can win?- Shachi asked pointedly.

\- Um… -Like hitting a bull’s-eye, the onslaught left Volff’s face bright red and him unable to respond or counter.

\- You’re always lecturing us, but you don’t even know the most crucial things, do you, Junk-ya?

\- What was that?!

\- You can’t beat them alone. But that was obvious. And we’re here because we know you can’t do anything alone.

\- Hmph…

\- We’re not leaving you. We’re gonna beat Bacca and his crew and save the town. That simple. Junk-ya, we’re not children anymore. We’re not just some brats hiding under your wing. It’s our turn now. We’re going to protect what’s important to you, with you. That’s what friendship is.- Volff snorted. But then a small smile crossed his lips.

\- Smart-ass. Think you can say cocky stuff now that you’ve gotten bigger, you upstart brat. Thanks for the encouragement. I trust you can do it. I know you have my back, as my friends.- Volff raised both his hands as if in surrender.

Everyone laughed. The everyday atmosphere of the house was back.

\- Old man, there’s a few things we need to know before we fight. For starters, what exactly is the _Dero-Dero Fruit_ that Bacca ate? - No matter how we decided to fight, if we didn’t defeat Bacca there was no way we could restore peace to the town. So we needed to know exactly what kind of power we were dealing with.

\- They call the user a ‘Melting Human’. Bacca can turn his body into a liquid. He can’t be damaged with normal attacks.

\- I see. That’s why my attacks didn’t connect with him.- It was obvious that a lead pipe would do nothing against a liquid.

\- There’s one more thing. He can control others with a light that he shoots from his eyes.

\- That light? like hypnosis?

\- A better explanation would be it corrodes people’s hearts. You said the townspeople attacked you. Did Bacca use that light before then?

\- He did. We managed to dodge it but all the townspeople seemed to be hit.

\- ‘Corrosive Light’... that’s what Bacca uses to corrode the hearts of people and control them using their base instincts. Worst case scenario, he could tell someone to die, and they would turn a knife to their own chests and plunge it in.

\- Perfect devil fruit for a madman.

\- He only thinks of the townspeople now as dolls he can control using his light. That’s why we need to stop him as quickly as possible.

\- You mean before he leaves town?

\- No, he’s only here to rest before returning to the Grand Line.

\- Meaning…?

\- That problem is the townspeople under his fruit’s power only have 24 hours to live.

\- What?!

\- The ‘heart’ that the _Dero-Dero Fruit_ corrodes isn’t just metaphorical. The people affected will have their real hearts completely corroded in 24 hours. If that happens, we lose. - A heavy gloom hung in the air again. I saw the faces of the townspeople in my mind. This was real. I couldn’t let a single one of them die.

\- How do we remove the effect of the fruit?

\- You have to knock Bacca unconscious completely. But I don’t think that’s possible. You have to fight him with the full intention of killing him.- Volff scowled as he spoke. No matter what kind of trash Bacca he had become, he was still Volff’s son. I’m sure he didn’t want to consider having to kill him.

\- 24 hours…

\- 4 hours have passed since the fight so that leaves 20 hours.

\- We have to get back to town and deal with the townspeople as well as defeat Bacca in that time…

Bepo, Penguin, and Shachi were perplexed by the situation. No wonder. Any way you put it, the lives of the townspeople were in our hands.

_I felt the same._

My fingers had been trembling for some time. Just thinking about the town getting attacked made me remember. A burning town, people screaming, the bodies of my parents and sister, my hometown Flevance…

\- Come to the roof - Volff suddenly said. We silently followed him. Once outside, we could see that a storm was coming in. It was almost like a reflection of how we felt; it pissed me off.

\- We’re gonna see what the town’s like.

\- Huh?

\- With my invention, ‘Little See-For-Miles’ telescope, seeing what’s going on in town is as easy as pie. I made two, so Law, you view the other one.

Skeptical, I looked through the lens of his invention with the ever-so-ridiculous name. As I did, I almost let out a yell. With no distortion or anything, I could see the town as if I were there. Volff really can make something like this?

\- Looks like the townspeople truly are being controlled.

\- Yea…- I could see familiar faces with unfamiliar weapons idly walking around town with blank faces. - Old man, do you see Bacca?

\- In the temple. I think you’ve all been there. The temple for the god of the sea in the middle of town; that’s where the pirates are.

\- I see… I guess since there’s no place bigger in town.

After finding the location of the pirates, we moved away from the telescopes. It was a rough situation, in all honesty. Since the temple they were in was right in the middle of town, we had no choice but to go through the townsfolk. We didn’t want to kill them, but it would be difficult to get through without any casualties.

And if we got to Bacca already roughened up, there was no way we could win. Plus, even if we reached him, without a surefire way to deal damage to him, it was pointless.

_It was a no-win situation._

\- You got any ideas?- I asked Bepo and the others.

\- Sorry, I got nothing. If only I was a smarter polar bear… I’m no use, I should just disappear.

\- Don’t be like that now, Bepo! I’ve got zero ideas, too.

We all sighed.

But out of the corner of my eye, I could see Volff with a smirk on his face like he had something.

\- I got it- he whispered.

\- What?- we all asked at the same time.

\- I almost forgot about it! This’ll work! I’m sure it will. All of you get ready! We’re going to my workshop.- The old man was fired up. - We got a surprise for Bacca!-

Once we had made basic preparations, we got in the buggy with Volff behind the wheel, and headed for his lab. The danger Pleasure Town was in was weighing heavily on me but I was also a little bit excited. I had never seen Volff’s lab before, and I had asked once long ago if I could go to it, but Volff gave a staunch ‘no’.

Finally, I would be able to see the number one thing that Volff was proud of....his many inventions.....and I was excited for it. It took less than ten minutes to get to the lab. But there was no building in sight when we arrived. Just a sprawling empty lot. Just as I was about to ask, Volff quickly went to the middle of the lot. Buried in the ground was a metal door. The old man took out a key, and the door opened with a loud bang.

\- Wow! Like a secret base!- Bepo said excitedly.

\- It’s lighted inside, but the stairs are steep. Be careful not to slip and fall- Volff warned us before we headed down the stairs. This was definitely a secret base. It was very unlike me, but I almost wanted to run around it. We descended the spiral staircase into the open space below. Dozens of inventions were displayed in the room. And they weren’t the kind of weird things that were in the house.

I spied an interesting-looking small plane and car. A pool filled with some kind of fertilizing liquid. I saw flasks, beakers, and cylinders for scientific experiments. There were some half-finished axes, guns, and swords.

_This was the workshop of the inventor Volff._

I looked in awe at the sight before me. If the situation were different, I would have asked him to show me how each one of these items worked.

\- Hey old man, you really are an inventor, huh.- Shachi couldn’t hide his surprise.

\- Of course I am! What did you expect? Pah, whatever. If this stuff is surprising, just wait. What I want to show you is just ahead. You’ll definitely need it to defeat Bacca.

Volff went to a box with a single sword inside. When he pulled it out, I could see a well-crafted blade. There was some sort of switch, but he ignored it as he held the blade. Then Volff moved into another room and went down a second set of stairs.

I wanted to see more of his inventions, but I knew our goal was something else. We quickly hurried after Volff. We went down the creaky stairs into a dark room. It smelled like… seawater. Were we close to the ocean?

\- I’m turning on the light- Volff said as he flipped a light switch.

\- Is this a cave?- This room was nothing like the previous one; we were standing in the middle of sand and rock.

\- It’s a cave that even the townsfolk don’t know about. And what I wanted to show you, is that!

We turned our heads towards where Volff was pointing. What we saw was….

\- That’s huge!

It was a large, yellow ship. A metal ship floating on the water. Is this also one of Volff’s inventions?

_Wait, this wasn’t a ship._

\- Hey Junk-ya , is this…?”

\- Yep, I bet you already know, but this is also the work of Genius Inventor Volff’s mind! The submarine ‘The Invincible Hanamaru’!

 **\- THAT'S A TERRIBLE NAME!** \- we all yelled at once. Name aside, this thing was incredible. The yellow, metal sub gave off a powerful feeling in front of us.

\- Go inside.

\- Really? - Penguin responded giddily.

\- Of course. This is the secret weapon you need to defeat Bacca- Volff explained haughtily. Without thinking too much about it, we went into the submarine.

\- Whoa- I couldn’t help but express my feeling.

It didn’t just look impressive. Inside the control room was a grand control panel, with hundreds of buttons, and we could tell we were inside the real thing. Bepo and the others sat in the seats and looked out the window while chanting “wow, cool”.

\- So how is it? Do you understand my greatness now?

\- Never mind that, you said this sub was the key to defeating Bacca. How do we fight him on land if we’re in the sea?- As I expressed my doubt, Volff let out a loud cackle.

\- Don’t underestimate the power of this thing, Law! Just sit down.- Volff sat in the control seat, checked some panels, and started the engine. - Water entering the main tank… propellor stable!- A loud sharp noise punctured our ears as it reverberated around the cave.

\- Ahh!

\- What...?!

\- Ouch!

It was like the sound of glass grinding on glass. We all tried to block out the sound. But it was a sound we remembered. It was the sound we heard from afar three years ago, when we were practicing swordsmanship in the garden. Hearing it again, we all gasped.

_The swallow that flies in the sea._

\- Junk-ya, this birdlike sound....!

\- Hmph! I know you all have heard the rumors. The sound the Invincible Hanamaru’s propellor makes in the cave is so loud it reaches even the town and the ocean. That’s the sea-flying swallow!

I see, the legend was just Volff taking the sub for a test drive. It would only take someone hearing the sound and seeing it in the water for a rumor to start to spread.

\- All right! System green. Depart!- With a thunk, the submarine sank.

\- Wow, it’s really moving- Penguin said with some surprise. We looked out at the ocean from the window of the submerged ship. In the clear blue swam many fishes. It was the first time I had ever seen under the water.

 _It’s beautiful._ I almost said that out loud.

Since eating a devil fruit I could no longer swim, so this was a sight I would be blessed to see in my life. But with the old man’s invention, I could look out at the colorful fish swimming in the sea.

_I guess he really deserves the title of genius inventor._

The submarine stopped its descent and started moving forward, at a crazy speed.

\- Whoa, cool!

\- This thing is super fast! - Shachi and Bepo sounded delighted as we watched the scenery change. I felt like I was part of the submarine, moving at incredible speed. At this rate we would be at Pleasure Town in no time.

_But…_

\- Hey old man, what are we supposed to do with this, though? - Volff didn’t answer. He just laughed as he piloted the sub.

\- Almost there. Nothing on the radar. The temple Bacca is in should be right above us.

\- What’s the point of this if we need to fight on land? No matter what we have to get through the townspeople.

\- No, no, no. You’re way off the mark. We’re not going on land, there’s no need. The Invincible Hanamaru is made of the strongest metal in the world! It’s equipped to break even the hardest rocks or even mountains!

\- Wait, you don’t mean…

\- Fasten your seatbelts. We’re going straight up through the land.

\- Huh?

\- What?

\- You’re joking....

\- We’re breaking through right into the temple! Trust me! Propeller, faster!

\- NO WAY!!- the others screamed. I didn’t want to believe it either. This definitely wasn’t just a resilience test. He was really gonna do it. With an even louder sound than before, the submarine ascend at high speed. And just like that…

\- 3… 2… 1. Here we go!- With a loud bang, we broke through the land above us and into the temple.

\- What the hell is that?!

\- Where did that thing come from?!

\- Shit, someone tell the captain!

I could hear the pirates panicking. Of course they were, if I were in their shoes, I’d be doubtful I’d react calmly.

Well…

\- You made this into quite an interesting situation.- I couldn’t help but laugh.

\- Don’t get in my way!

\- That’s our line, Junk-ya!

With that, the five of us filed out of the submarine.

_Time for the fun._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> happy holidays everyone! hope you all have an amazing christmas!  
> stay safe <3


	6. IMPORTANT NOTE

Hi person reading this, im sorry for the delay of last chapter, this dates are busier than normal, now that they are over i hope to have last chapter for late next week.

This said, im also will leat you all know than the last one will be more inconsistence than the others since the lack of reference for the translation (i have found some reference for all other chapters, but this one + prologue there is none) im sorry for the inconvenience.

_Hey guys, it's me, the ghost editing this work!_ I'm getting rid of the cursive, it's too uncomfortable to read. It's my first time talking to you, I just wanted to let you know that as soon as i finish editing the previous chapter (they are posted unedited for faster publishing) I'll be giving the next one my all. We've been receiving a lot of support so far, so we'll try to make it look as good as possible. Thanks for your patience and understanding!


	7. UPDATE

Hello! its being some time since last update, it will come out this weekend, since the french version of law novel have being release and i bought a copy! 

i didnt upload the last chapter because it will be only a 40% of the story...the app wasnt doing a good job with translation

now that i have a more simple version to translate it will be more easy for me and for all of you to read!

sorry for the long waiting period and stay safe!


End file.
